190 



Leaves with, a channel down their face much 

 narrower than the leaf, except at the base, and 

 tapering m a cjlindric manner to a slender 

 and very acute green or pale brown or whitish 

 point which at first is slightly horny but not 



very bard; flower-stem not branched 4. caulescens. 



Leaves of adult plants 3-7 ft. long, laterally flattened, 

 I4-I4 m. thick at the base, with a. channel as 

 broad as the leaf down the face; flower-stem 

 ^^^"^^^ 11. Tolnsta. 



IL— Stem either none oe not rising erectly more than about 1 ft. 



ABOVE THE GROUND. ThREE SPECIES PRODUCE AT 2-4 IN. ABOVE THE 

 GROUND, ASCENDING OR TRAILING BRANCHES ^-3 FT. LONG, WHICH 

 BOOT AND BEAR A TUFT OF LE.AVES AT THEIR ENDS, BUT EXCLUDING 

 THEIR TRAILING LENGTH DO NOT RISE ERECTLY MORE THAN 1 FT. ABOVE 



THE GROUND. (See also 1, S. lagamoyensis, of which the height of 

 the stem is unknown.) " > t, 



A. -Leaves in transverse section at their middle about as thick as, or 



l^^cker, than they are brood, cylindric or more or less flattened at 

 the sides, and with or without a channd all doxcn the face above the 



sneataing part, * 



*Leaves of adult plants solitary, or occasionally 2 



(very rarely 3) together (in seedling or juvenile 

 plants there may be 4^ in a tuft), scattered 

 along an underground rootstock at distinct inter- 

 vals or one close behind another, cylindric- — 

 Leaves of adult plants 4-9 ft. long (under cultiva- 

 tion, sometimes 11-3 ft. long), with a distinct 



narrow channel down the face- 



Adult leaves 11-2^ in. thick at the base, with ' 

 a channel 3-16 lin. broad down the face, 

 dark green or dull grass green, with rather 

 paler transverse bands, which become indis- 

 tmct on old leaves ,., 21. Stuchyl 



^uuiu leaves 3-13 m. thick at the base, with a 

 channel l|-3 lin. broad down the face, dull 

 greyish or bluish-green, or of a brownish tint, 

 rather indistinctly marked with paler trans' 

 verse bands 



eaves of adult plants --2^ ft. long,"5-ll *Hn. (or 

 in iS. sulcata when alive perhaps more) thick • 

 flowers in a simple spike-like raceme not half 

 as long as the leaves : 



Leaves apparently with 



Leaves usually with 5-^ (rarefy m"ore) distinct 

 grooves 



22. singularis. 



• « * 



23. sulcata. 



3-18 



• « 



24. canaliculata. 



tLeaves cylindric, not flattened at the sides (the 



outermost sometimes half-cylindric) •— 

 ^Leaves without a channel down the "face above 



hlLi A^^i^S part, with hardened 



. brown or whitish tips: — 



Stems of adult plants rising erectly 3-12 in 

 above the ground and often branching in 

 the air; branches ^-3 ft. long, ascending 

 when short or trailing over other branchei 

 when long, covered with scale-leaves and 

 ending a tuft of foliage: — 

 Leaves distinctly rough to the touch, at least 

 on the apical part, the hardened apex 

 very acute and 1^-2 lin. long ... .^... 5. ,^ffr^ti 



