An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



41 



Ag^ave — continued. 



sile rosette, stiff, ensifurra, 6in. to 7in. long, liii. toUin. broad at 

 the middle, brii;lit glossy jiTeen, with a distinct pale band down the 

 centre, broadly rounded on the back, witliout any darker green 

 lines, margined with a continuous moderately I)r(pad border, red 

 brown at tirst, fading into grey when old ; terminal spines briglit 

 reddish brown, pungent, ^in. to iin. long; side prickles copious, 

 spreading, lanceolate, curved, Jin. long. Mexico, 1869. 



A> Salmiana (Prince Salm-Dyck's).* jl. greenish yellow, 4in. 

 long ; panicle thyrsoid, 6ft. to 8ft. long, with erecto-patent 

 liranclu's and flowers in dense clusters; scape, exclusive of the 

 panicle, 20ft. higli. I. twelve to thirty in a dense rosette, which is 

 often 5ft. to 6ft. broad, oblanceolate-spathulate, 2ft. to 4ft. long, 

 4in. to 6in. broad above the middle, a dull, slightly glaucous 

 green ; face more or less concave ; terminal spine Itin. to 2in. long, 

 hard and pungent; side prickles \m. long, chestnut brown, hooked 

 up or down. Mexico, 1860. Syns. -4. atrovirens, A. Jacobiana, 

 A. tehuacciisis. 



A* S. latlsslma (very broad). /. 2ft. to 3ft. long, by Sin. to 9in. 

 broad above the middle. 



A* Sartorll (Sartor's). Jl. greenish, l^in long; pedicels very short, 

 in a dense spike about 3ft. long, 5in. to6in. broad when expanded; 

 scape 3ft. to 4ft. long, the green linear ascending bracts 2in. to 4in. 

 long. I. thirty to forty spaced out in a loose rosette, ensiform, 

 14ft. to 2ft. long, 3in. broad at the middle, bright green, with a 

 pale band down the middle ; face flat; terminal spine small, not 

 pungent ; side prickles minute, crowded, spreading, tipped with 

 red-brown. Caudex 1ft. to 2ft. long, sometimes forked. Syns. A. 

 ctvspitom, A. Xvacl-ii, A. pcndula. 



A. schidigera (sjiine-bearing).* /?. almost identical with A. 

 /Ul/rra. I. fifty to eighty in a dense sessile rosette, stiff, 

 ensiform, 12in. to 15in. long, gin. to lin. broad at the middle, 

 similar in colour and texture to those of A. fdiferay but the 

 grey marginal border, and splitting off into flat shavings, not 

 mere threads. 



A. Schnittspahnl (Schnittspahn's). Referred to A. Scolymus. 



A. Scolymus (ScoIymus). Jl. gTeenish yellow, 2Ain. to Sin. long; 

 biiLnclu's fi,'\v, with tlie flowers at tlie end in very dense clusters; 

 scape 14it. to 16ft. high, including tlie thyrsoid panicle, which is 

 4ft. long and 2ft. broad, furnished witli green bracts. I. twenty to 

 thirty in a dense rosette lift, to 3ft. broad, oblong-spathulate, 

 Sin. to 18in. long, 3in. to 6in. broad above the middle, very 

 glaucous, abruptly terminating in a pungent spine, lin. or more 

 long; side prickles chestnut brown, about Jin. long; edge wavy 

 between them ; those on the lower half smaller and directed 

 downwards. Mexico, 1850. Other so-called species referred to 

 this are A. amcena, A. crenata, A. cucullata, A. Schiiittspahni, 

 and ^. Verse ha felt a. 



A. S. Saundersii (Saunders"), d. about 1ft. long ; teeth very 

 large. 



A. Seemaniil (Seeraann's).* Jl. unknown. I. twenty in a sessile 

 rosette, 1ft. to lUt. broad, oblong-spathulate, 6in. to 9in. long, 

 3in. to 3^in. broad at the middle, narrowed to 2in. above the 

 dilated base, sliglitly glaucous ; face flat, except close to the top ; 

 terminal spine pungent, dark brown, ^in. long; side prickles 

 large, moderately close, slightly curved upwards or downwards. 

 Guatemala, 1868. There are two or three garden forms of this 

 species. 



A. Shawil (Shaw's).* d. greenish yellow, 3in. to S^in. long ; 

 panicle thyrsoid, about 2ft. lung and broad ; clusters dense, com- 

 posed of thirty to forty flowers, surrounded by large foliaceous 

 fleshy bracts, l. fifty to sixty, or more, ftirniing a dense globose 

 sessile rosette 2ft. in diameter, oblong spalludate. Sin. to lOin. 

 long, SAin. to 4J,in. broad at the nndillc, deep green ; terminal 

 spine brown, lin. long, the upper third or quarter entire, the rest 

 furnished with crowded upcurved lanceolate prickles, Jin. to iin. 

 long. California, 1877. This species is very rare at present, but 

 is a most distinct and handsome plant. 



A. SObollfera (soboliferous). jt. gieenish yellow, 2in. to 2.Un. 

 long, in a deltoid panicle, of wliich the lo\\Lr panicles are 9in' to 

 12in. long, and bear a hundred flowers each ; pedicels Jin. to lin. 

 long ; scape 8ft. to 10ft. high, 2iin. thick at the lK\i-.e. I. twenty to 

 forty in a shortly caulescent rosette, oblaneeolate-ciltlong-spathu- 

 late, 2ft. to 3ft. long, Sin. to 5in. broad at the iniiUlle, very bright 

 green; face deeply cliannelled, the burdcr much raised and tip 

 often recurved; terminal spine sub-pungent, cliestnut brown, ^in. 

 long; side prickles distant, brown, hooked, Ain. to ^in. long. 

 West Indies, 1678. 



A. Striata (striated-leaved).* Jl. brownish green outside, yellow 

 inside, lin. to Uin. long ; pedicels very short ; spike dense, 2ft. to 

 Sft. long ; bracts linear, shorter than the flowers ; scape 6ft. 

 to 8ft. high, including the spike, furnished with numerous 

 spreading subulate bracts, which are 2in. to Sin. long. I. 150 to 

 200 in a dense rosette, linear-ensiform, 2ft. to 2^it. long, Jin. to |in. 

 broad above the deltoid dilated base, where they are Jm. thick and 

 Im. broad, narrowed gradually from the top of the base to the 

 point, rigid in texture, glaucous green ; face rather keeled, and 

 the back more so ; point brown, pungent, iin. long ; edges 

 minutely serrulate. Mexico, 1856. 



A. s. echinoides (Echinus-like). ?. about 6in. long, 4in. broad at 

 the middle ; face flat. Mexico, 1869. Dwarfer and .stiffer in habit 

 than the variety stricta. 



A^AVe— continued. 



A. s. recnrva (recurved-leaved). /. longer than in the type, Sft. 

 to 4ft., more or less falcate, narrower, and decideiUy convex on 

 tioth surfaces. 



A. 8. strlota (upright). I. about 1ft. long, very stiff, Jin. broad at 

 the middle, both faces convex. A. Richanlsii comes near to this 

 variety. 



A. tehuacensis (Tehuan). Synonymous with A. Salmiana. 



A. uncinata (hooked). Synonymous with A. pohjacantha. 



A. tmivittata (one-striped).' Jl. green, l^in. long (or less) ; spike 

 10ft. to 12ft. long, 6in. to 7in. thick ; pedicels Jin. long ; scape 4ft. 

 long, exclusive of the spike, its bracts dense and squarrose. 

 I. fifty to eighty in a stemless rosette, rigid, ensiform, 2ft. to 2ift. 

 long, 2in. to Sin. broad at the middle, narrowed slightly down- 

 wards, and very gradually upwards, dull green, with a broad pale 

 band down the face, faintly lineate on the back ; margin bordered 

 by a narrow, continuous grey horny line, furnished with hooked 

 lanceolate prickles, ^in. long, from iin. to lin. apart; terminal 

 spine brown, pungent, lin. long. Mexico, 1830. 



A. QtahensiS (Utahan).* jl. yellowish, about lin. long; peduncles 

 ultimately Jin. long ; scapes, 5ft. to 7ft. high, including the 1ft. to 

 2ft. spike. I. stendess, ensiform, 6in. to 12in. long, lin. to nearly 

 2in. broad, thick, glaucous ; terminal spine channelled, pungent, 

 about lin. long ; marginal prickles, ^in. to ,Un. long, white, with a 

 darker base. Southern Utah, 1881. Tliis is a true alpine species, 

 perfectly hardy, and of very easy culture. 



A. Vanderdonckll (Vanderdonck's). Synonymous with A. 

 xylacantha. 



A* varlegata (variegated).* /. gTeenish, about l,>in. long; spike 

 about 1ft. long, fifteen to twenty flowered ; bracts minute, del- 

 toid ; scape 2ft. long, exclusive of the si)ike, bearing about twelve 

 lanceolate bract leaves. I. fifteen to ei|;hteen in a sessile rosette, 

 spreading, ligulate-lanceolate, finally 12in. to 15in. long, lin. to 

 2in. broad below the middle, narrowed slightly doAvnwards, and 

 gradually to the point, deeply chanelled down the face, and 

 copiously spotted with brown on a green grouml ; edge hard and 

 tough, very obscurely serrulate. Texas, 1865. This very desirable 

 variegated species is extremely rare in cultivation. 



A. VerschafifeltU (Verschaffelt's). Referred to A. Scolinmis. 



A. Victorl£e Retina (Queen Victoria).* I. forty to fifty in a 

 sessile rosette, stilf. rigid, lanceolate, 6in. long, I'.in. to nearly 2in. 

 broad above the dilated base, narrowed gi-adually to a rather 

 obtuse point, dead green, margined with a continuous wliite 

 border, like that of A. JiliJ'era, not splitthig up into threads, 

 but leaving distinct white vertical bands where it is pressed 

 against the neighbouring leaves ; terminal spine ^in. long, black, 

 pungent, with usually one or two small spines on each side of it, 

 Mexico, 1875. This is also much too rare a plant. STN. A. Con- 

 sideraiiti. 



A. Tlrglnloa (Virginian),* fi. greenish yellow, lin. to IJin. long; 



spike very loose, 1ft. to l^ft. long ; lower flowers with very short 

 pedicels and lanceolate bracts, about Jin. long; scatie 2ft. to Sft. 

 high, exclusive of tlie spike, with only a few distant small bract 

 leaves. I. ten to fifteen in a sessile rosette, spreading, lanceo- 

 late, 6in. to 12in. long, lin. to l^in. broad below the middle, 

 narrowed gradually to the point and a little downwards ; face 

 channelled, undulated, pale green, or mottled with brown spots, 

 the naiTOW hard and tough margin very obscurely seiTulate. 

 North America, 1765. A, condujAicata is said to be allied to this 

 species. 



A. vlvipara (viviparous).* fi. greenish yellow, l^in. to2in. long, 

 often clianged intobulbill.ne, which bear lanceolate leaves 6in. long 

 before they fall and take root ; inflorescence reaching a height of 

 20ft. or more, the deltoid panicle about a quarter of the length of 

 the scape ; corymbs on stout peduncles, pedicels short. /. twenty 

 to fifty in a dense, shortly caulescent rosette, ensiform, 2ft. to Sft. 

 long, l^in. to 2in. broad at the middle, whence it gradually 

 narrows to the point, dull green when mature, thin but firm in 

 texture, flat or channelled down the face; terminal spine firm, 

 brown, iin. long; side teeth brown, hooked, ^Vm. or less long. 

 A very widely spread species throughout tropics of the l>ld 

 World, 1731 SVNS. A. cantula, A. bulbij'era. 



A. WareUiana (Warell's).* I. about thirty in a rosette, oblong- 

 spathulate, 9in. to. lOin. long, Sin. broad above the middle, 

 narrowed to 2in. above the dilated base ; face nearly flat, green, 

 scarcely at all glaucous, tipped with a strong brown channelled 

 spine lin. long; border margined with close, very short teeth, 

 dark purple when mature. Mexico. A rare but very handsome 

 species. 



A, Wlsllzenl (Wislizenius*s). rf. 2iin. long ; panicle thyrsoid, its 

 branches Sin. to 6in. long; pedicels very short ; scape l*2ft. higli. 

 I. about thirty in a dense, rigid, sessile rosette, which is under 2ft. 

 broad, oblong-spathulate, Sin. to Siin. broad above the middle, 

 very glaucous, concave in the upper part ; terminal spine hard, 

 pungent, dark brown, lin. long, and decurrent down the border a 

 little ; side prickles jiu. long, dark puiple, moderately close, those 

 below the uuddle of the leaf smaller and curved do\vnward. 

 Mexico, 1S47. 



A. xalapensls. Synonymous with A. pohjacantha. 



A. xylacantha {"woody-spiued).* /. green, l^in. long ; spike dense, 

 ratlier shorter tlian tlie scape, its bracts linear-subulate ; scape 

 5ft. to 6fl. long, its bracts subulate, all ascending, the lower ones 

 6iu. to Sin. long. I. not more than twenty in a stemless rosette, 



