40 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Agave — continued. 



A* Desertl (Desert's).* Jt. yellow, under 2hi. long, on a thyi-soid 

 panicle, the branches very short, the lower horizontal, the upper 

 ascending; pedicels short; scape 4ft. to 10ft. high, lin. to 2in. 

 thick at the base, furnished with distant lanceolate acuminate 

 toothed bracts. /. few, in a rosette, oblanceolate, 6in. to 12in. 

 long, liin. to 2in. broad above the middle, thick, fleshy, very 

 glaucous; face deeply concave; terminal spine lin. to 2in. long, 

 slender; prickles crowded, strong, hooked, horny, nearly ^in. long. 

 California, 1877. 



A* DesmetUma (De Smet's). Probably synonymous with A. 

 miradorensiji. 



A. Elemeetiana (Elemeefs).* Jl. yellowish-green, lin. to l^in. 

 long, in a dense spike 8ft. to 9ft. .long. Tin. to Bin. in dianieter 

 when expanded; pedicels ^in. long; scape, including the spike, 

 12ft. to 13ft. high, stiffly erect, lower 3ft. to 4ft., barren, with 

 squarrose lanceolate bracts. I. twenty to twenty -five in a rosette, 

 lanceolate-oblong, lift, to 2ft. long, 3in. to 6in. wide, slightly 

 glaucous; face flat above the middle terminal spine, not pungent, 

 the margin pale and quite entire. Stemless. A very distinct 

 species. Mexico, 1864. 



A Fenzliana (Fenzl's). S>"nonymous with A. Eoolccri. 



A ferox (fierce). Jl. unknown. I. about twenty in a rosette, 

 oblong-spathulate, 4in. to 8in. broad ; face nearly flat, except at 

 the top, slightly glaucous green ; terminal spine above lin. long, 

 hard, pungent ; margin slightly wavy between the large dark 

 brown teeth, which are about Jin. long, and curved at the 

 top, Mexico, 186L 



A fillfera (thread-bearing).* Jl. greenish, about 2in. long; pedicels 

 very short and stout, in a dense spike 2ft. to 3ft. long ; scape 3ft. 

 to 4ft. long, its bract-leaves subulate, the lower ones ascending, 

 the upper squarrose. I. sixty to a hundred in a dense rosette, 

 stiff, straight, ensiform, 6in. to 9in. long, lin. broad at the middle, 

 g^dually narrowing to a grey pungent tip ; face flat, the con- 

 tinuous grey edge splitting off copiously into irregular spreading 

 grey wiry threads ; outer leaves of the rosette not all recurved, 

 but spreading stifl3y. Mexico. 



A t, filatnoxitosa (thready).* A form with larger leaves and 

 scape ; including the spike, 10ft. to 12ft. high. A well-known, 

 handsome variety. 



A Galeottl (Galeotti's). Jl. unknown. I. thirty to forty in a 

 dense rosette, 2ft. to 3ft. broad, oblong-spathulate, Ift. to lift, long, 

 2in. to 6in. broad ; face rather flat or convex, green; terminal 

 spine hard, pungent ; prickles close, straight, or slightly hooked, 

 purplish-black. Mexico, 1877. 



A GhlesbregbtU (Ghiesbreght's). Jl. unknown. I. thirty to 

 forty in a dense rosette, rigid, lanceolate, Sin. to 12in. long, 2in. 

 to 3in. broad, bright glossy green ; terminal spine iin. long, 

 pungent ; border narrow, red-brown till a late stage ; sideprickles 

 numerous, irregular, two to three lines long. Mexico, 1862. Very 

 handsome dwarf species. A. Rohanii and A, Leguayana are mere 

 varieties. 



A heteracantha (various-spined).* Jl. greenish, Uin. long, on a 

 dense spike 3ft. long ; scape 3ft. to 4ft. long. I. fifty to eighty 

 in a rosette, rigid, ensiform, l^ft. to 2ft. long, 2in. to 2iin. broad 

 in the middle, dull gi'een, with numerous darker green lines on 

 the back ; terminal point lin. long ; side spines numerous, 

 strongly hooked, lanceolate. Stemless. Mexico. 



A. Hookeri (Hooker's).* Jl. large, yellow, very numerous, in 

 stalked panicled cymes. I. thirty to forty in a sessile rosette, 8ft. 

 or 9ft. in diameter, oblanceolate-spathulate, bright green on the 

 face, rather glaucous on the back, 4ft. to 5ft. long, Sin. to 9in. 

 broad, 2in. to 3in. thick ; terminal spine 2in. long, and decurrent for 

 nearly half a foot ; face flattish or slightly concave ; side prickles 

 irregiilar, brown and horny, about \m. long, and curved in 

 different directions. Mexico. Syn. A. Fenzliana. A rare and 

 noble species, very massive. 



A horrida (horrid).* Jl. unknown. I. thirty to forty in a dense 



rosette, riyid, lanceolate-spathidate. Bin. to 12in. long, lin. to 2in. 



broad, bright green; terminal spine pungent, nearly lin. long; 



margin furnished with a continuous broad grey border, with 



copious prickles iin. to iin. long. 

 A h. Gilbeyi (Gilbey's).* I. about thirty, 3in. to 4in. long, 2in. 



broad, dark green with a pale stripe down the middle, three to 



four large spines on each side. Mexico, 1873. 

 A h. Isevior (smoother). I. somewhat naiTower, longer, with 



marginal spines less strongly developed, and of a paler colour. 



Mexico, 1870. 



A h. macrodonta (long-toothed). ;. fifty to sixty, 2iin. broad ; 



spines larger than in the typical form. Mexico, 1876. 

 A. h, micrantha (small-toothed). Border of leaf narrower, and 



spines smaller, than in the typical form. 



A Jacobiana (Jacob's). Synonymous with A. Salmmna. 



A. Kerchovei (Kerchove's).* tJ. unknown. I. thirty to fortv in 

 a stemless rcsette, stiff, rigid, typically ensiform, 6in. to 12in. 

 long, lAin. to 2in. broad, narrowing gradually to a pungent spine 

 lin. long, dull green, with a distinct pale central band, rounded 

 on the back, without any stripes of dark green, the margin 

 Avith a continuous moderately broad grey border ; side prickles 

 irregular, grey, lanceolate, curved, ^in. to iin. long. Svn. A. 

 Deaucarnei, 



Agave — co'iUinued. 



There are several varieties of A. Kerchovei, of which the follo%ving 

 are the most important :— 

 A K. diplacantha (double-spined).* With very few distant, 



small teeth, often collected or united in pairs. 

 A K. inermis (unarmed). Dwarf, with spines entirely obsolete. 

 A K. macrodonta (long-toothed). I. li,it. long, without any 



distinct central band, and with copious irregular grey lanceolate 



prickle-s, about ^in. long. 

 A K. pectinata (comb-like). I. lit. long, 2Jin. broad, without 



any central band. 



A lophantha (crest-flowered).* ./?. greenish, arranged in a dense 

 spike 4ft. to 5ft. long; scape 7ft. to 8ft. long, its leaves brown, the 

 lower ones 6in. long. I. thirty to forty in a rosette, rigid, ensi- 

 form, 2ft. to 3ft. long, liin. broad at the miildle, rather concave 

 down the face, rounded on the back, not marked with any lines, 

 dull green ; terminal spine lin. long ; margins bordered by a very 

 narrow continuous grey hoary line, furnished with distant linear 

 falcate teeth, about Y^in. long, sessile. Mexico. 



A L coernlescens (bluish).* I with a decided glaucous bloom. 



A L lon^folia (long-leaved). A mere variety of above species. 



A macracantlia (long-spined).* /. greenish, 2in. long, ten to 

 twelve in a loose raceme 6in. long, all solitary on ascending 

 pedicels ^in. to iin. long; scape 2ft. to 3ft. long; bracts erect. 

 (. thirty to fifty in a stiff rosette 1ft. to 2ft. broad, oblanceolate, 

 6in. to 12in. long, lin. to liin. broad, very stiff and rigid, very 

 glaucous ; face rather thicker in the lower half ; terminal spine 

 nearly black, very pungent, iin. long; side prickles purplish-black, 

 sub-distant, ^in. long, with a large point straight or slightly hooked. 

 With a short stem, or stemless. Mexico, 1830. It has many 

 varieties, among which are A. Bessereriana and A. Jlavescens. 



A Maxlinlllana (Maximilian's).* Jl. unknown. I. about twenty 

 in a sessile rosette, oblanceolate-spathulate, lift, to 2ft. long, l|in. 

 to Sin. broad ; face slightly glaucous green ; terminal spine pungent, 

 bro^vn, lin. broad ; side prickles bright chestnut brown, larger and 

 more irregular than in^. ainericaiia, more hooked, and famished 

 with longer and sharper points, reaching Jin. long. Mexico. A 

 very distinct species. 



A mlcracantlia (small-spined). fl. yellowish, liin. long, in a 

 dense spike 3ft. to 4ft. long. 6in. to 7in. broad when expanded. I. 

 twenty to thirty in a shortly stalked rosette, oblanceolate oblong. 

 15in. to IBin. long. Sin. to 5in. broad above the middle, narrowed 

 to 2in. to 3in. above the base, bright green ; face flattish above the 

 centre ; terminal .'jpine red brown, moderately firm ; the copious 

 close reddish-brown horny teeth about yS in- long, the upper ones 

 ascending, the lower deflexed. Mexico, 1860. 



A mlradorensis (Mirador).* Jl. unknown. I. about thirty in a 

 sessile rosette, oblanceolate-spathulate, lift, to 2ft. long, 2in. to 

 2iin. broad above the middle, thin but firm in texture, very 

 glaucous, ^\ith a firm red-brown terminal spine lin. long ; side 

 prickles very minute, crowded, colourless, five or six to an inch 

 in the centre of the leaf. Mexico, 1869. Syn. (probably) A. 

 Desjnetiana 



A. Noackii (Noack's). A synonym of A. Sartorii. 



A. ornata (adorned). A synonym of A. americana picta. 



A. Ortgiesiana (Ortgies'). A dwarf form of A. schidigera with a 

 pale central band to the leaf. Mexico, 1861. A widely-distributed 

 and desirable species. 



A pendula (pendulous). Synonymous with A. Sartorii. 



A polyacantha (many-spined).* Jl. greenish-yellow, l^in. to 

 2in. long ; flowering-stem Sft. to 12ft. hi";h, including the dense 

 spike, which is 3ft. to 4ft. long. I. about thirty in a sessile 

 rosette, oblanceolate-spathulate, ri^d, 1ft. to 2ft. long, 2iin. to 

 5in. broad above the mitldle. bright gi'een, slightly glaucous 

 when young ; terminal spine dark brown, pungent, iin. to |in. 

 long ; side prickles crowded, deltoid, dark chestnut brown, ir- 

 regular, -^An. or iin. lon^, all sub-patent. Mexico, 1800. Syns. 

 A. vnciuata, A. xalape7]s^s. 



A. Poselgerii (Poselger's). Jl. purplish, rather more than lin. 

 long ; scape, including the spike, 6ft. to 10ft. I. twentj^ to thirty 

 in a dense rosette, rigid, ensiform, 1ft. to lift, long, liin. to 2in. 

 broad at the middle, ilull green, with a broad pale band down to 

 the face, rounded and marked with numerous distinct green lines 

 down the back ; margin furnished with a continuous straight, 

 moderately broad edge ; terminal spine lin. long, brown, pungent; 

 side prickles moderately close, lanceolate, hooked, ^in. lone;. 

 Trunk, 4in. to 6in. long. Texas. 



A potatorum (drinkers'), rf. gi-eenish yellow, Sin. long; scape 

 12ft. high, including the thyr.soid jianicle, which is 4ft. to Sft. 

 long. I. about twenty in a dense sessile rosette, 4ft. to Sft. broad, 

 oblong-spathulate, 2ft. to 2ift. long, 7in. to 9in. broad above the 

 middle, a dull glaucous green ; face slightly concave ; terminal 

 spines hard, pungent, liin. to 2in. long ; side prickles deltoid- 

 cuspidate, about jin. long, with the edge slightly wavy between 

 them. Mexico, 1830. 



A. pruinosa (frosty).* ./f. unknown. I. ten to twenty in a dense 

 rosette, spreading, oblanceolate-oblong, lift, to Sft. long, 4in. to 

 5in. broad above the middle, soft and fleshy in texture, pale 

 glaucous green ; terminal spine very weak ; edge furnished with 

 minute irregular spreading deltoid serrations, not more than 

 quarter line long. Mexico, 1863. A very distinct species. 



A Roezliana (Roezl's). ji. unknown, l. twenty to thirty in a ses* 



