101 



©rigmal Mxtitlt^. 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE GENUS .ECMMKA, E. & P. 

 By J. G. Bakee, F.R.S. 



(Coiitinned from p. 135). 



10. JE. DACTYLiNA, Baker, n. .y>. — Leaf with a dilated entire 

 oblong base half a foot long, four to five inches broad, and ensiform 

 lamina two feet long, two inches broad at the base, narrowed to 

 the horny pungent point, the dark horny linear lower prickles one 

 quarter to one-third of an inch long, those of the upper part of 

 the blade minute, deltoid-cuspidate. Scape a foot long, with 

 distant erect lanceolate bract-leaves. Panicle lax, deltoid, a foot 

 long and broad, the rachises densely floccose, the upper branches 

 simple and nearly sessile, the lower bearing two to four digitate 

 spikes at the summit of a peduncle and subtended by red lanceolate 

 branch-bracts three to four inches long. Spikes three to four inches 

 long, distichous, half an inch in diametei", each flower siibtended 

 by an ovate-navicular cuspidate glabrous rigid bract half an inch 

 long, acutely keeled. Calyx with ovary just as long as the flower- 

 bract ; sepals lanceolate, as long as the ovary, minutely cuspidate. 

 Petals one-sixth of an inch longer than the sejDals, the minute 

 blade protruded beyond the tip of the bract. Chagres, Panama, 

 Fejidler, 450 ! (Herb. Kew.) 



11. M. Veitchii, Baker in Bot. Mag., t. 6329. ChevaUiera 

 Veitchii, E. Morren in Belg. Hort., 1878, p. 177, t. 9.— Leaves 

 twelve to fifteen to a rosette, with an oblong entire dilated base, 

 and a lorate lamina one and a half to two feet long, obtuse with a 

 cusjJ, horny in texture, channelled all down the face, obscurely 

 lepidote on the back, one and a half inch to two inches broad at the 

 middle, with minute very close horny deltoid teeth. Scape above a 

 foot long, entirely hidden by the lanceolate erect greenish serrated 

 bract-leaves. Flowers in a dense oblong multifarious simple spike 

 three to four inches long, two to two and a half inches in diameter, 

 each flower clasped by a squarros.e horny toothed deltoid acute 

 scarlet bract half an inch to one inch long. Calyx Avith ovary 

 five-eighths to three-quarters of an inch long, glabrous ; ovary 

 globose, much flattened on the side nearest the axis : sepals- 

 lanceolate. Petals pale, lingulate, a little longer than the sepals. — 

 New Granada, on the western slope of the Andes near Popayan, 

 JJartwerj ! — (Herb. Kew). Sent by Mr. Wallis to Messrs. Veitch 

 in 1874, and in cultivation at Kew at the j)resent time. It is the 

 Bromeliaceous plant described but not named, Bentli., PL Hartweg, 

 256; Walp. Ann., i., 84 J. 



N. s. VOL. 8. [June, 1879.] y 



