AGAVE. 183 



brown end-spine an inch long, the prickles very minute, deltoid, 

 hardly at all horny. Peduncle including 5-6 ft. thyrsoid panicle 

 28 ft. long. Flowers 2 in. long ; tube very short ; segments under 

 an inch long. Stamens twice as long as the segments. 



Hab. Mexico. Described by Jacobi from the Belgian Gardens in 1867. 

 The above description and three sketches, now in the Kew Herbarium, were 

 made from a plant that flowered with Mr. J. T. Peacock, at Hammersmith, in 

 December, 1877. I cannot by the description separate the earlier-named A. 

 Desmetiana Jacobi Monog. 241. 



71. A. (LittcBo) POLYACANTHA Haw. Kevis. Succ. 35. A. xala- 

 pensis Eoezl. A. uncinata and chiapensis Jacobi. — Acaulescent. 

 Leaves about 30 in a rosette, oblanceolate, 1-2 ft. long, 3-5 in. 

 broad above the middle, narrowed to 2-3 in. above the base, bright 

 green, only slightly glaucous in an early stage, the dark brown 

 shortly decurrent end- spine |~| in. long, the crowded dark brown 

 irregular patent deltoid prickles not more than l-12th to l-8th in. 

 long. Peduncle 8-12 ft. long, including the dense 3-4 ft. spike. 

 Flower l|-2 in. long ; tube subcylindrical, ^ in. long ; segments 

 f in. long, yellowish brown. Filaments more than twice as long 

 as the segments. 



Hab. Mexico. Introduced into cultivation about 1820. We have lately 

 received it from Trinidad, from Mr. Hart. A plant from the Saunders collec- 

 tion flowered with Mr. F. Pawle, at Reigate, in 1875. 



72. A. [LittcBo) DENSiFLORA Hook. in Bot. Mag. t. 5006. — 

 Acaulescent. Leaves 30-40 in a rosette, oblanceolate-spathulate, 

 2-3 ft. long, 3-5 in. broad above the middle, narrowed to 2|~4 in. 

 above the base, bright green when mature, only slightly glaucous 

 when young, the pungent shortly decurrent end-spine f in. long, 

 the irregular crowded bright brown spreading deltoid prickles 

 i- 1 line long. Peduncle including the dense spike 6-8 ft. long. 

 Flowers lJ-2 in. long ; tubejfunnel-shaped, i-| in. long ; segments 

 lanceolate, greenish brown, i^-f in. long. Stamens 2 in. long. 

 Capsule J-1 in. long. 



Hab. Mexico. First described by Sir W. J. Hooker, from a plant that 

 flowered at Kew in 1857. It has since often flowered, both at Kew and Reigate. 



73. A. {Euagave) lurida Ait. Hort. Kew, i. 472 ; Gawl. in Bot. 

 Mag. t. 1522; Baker in Saund. Kef. Bot. t. 307. A. vera-cruz 

 Miller, an earlier name, altered by Haworth to vem-crucis. — 

 Acaulescent or shortly caulescent. Leaves 30-40 in a rosette, 

 oblanceolate, 2-3 ft. long, 2|~3|- in. broad above the middle, 

 narrowed to 2 in. above the base, very glaucous, the pungent end- 

 spine an inch long, the subdistant deltoid prickles ^ in. long, at 

 first red-brown, finally nearly black. Peduncle including the 

 3-6 ft. thyrsoid panicle 12-16 ft. long. Flowers 3 in. long ; tube 

 broadly funnel-shaped, ^ in. long ; segments greenish yellow, 

 narrow, an inch long. Stamens twice as long as the segments. 

 Capsule l|-2 in. long. 



Var. A. Jacquiniana Schult. Syst. Veg. vii. 727 ; Hook, in Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5097 ; Belg. Hort. ix. t. 25. A. hirida Jacq. Collect, iv. 

 94, t. 1.— Trunk l-li ft. long. Leaves 2^-3 ft. long. Flowers 

 small. 



