74 AMAEYLLIDACEAE. 



basal, or clustered at the top of the caiulex, the large bracted flowers in 

 terminal spikes or compound clusters. Perianth tubular or funnelform, wither- 

 ing-persistent, with 6 equal or nearly equal lobes. Stamens inserted on the 

 perianth at the bases of the lobes, exserted. Ovary 3-celled; style slender, 

 exserted, 3-lobed; ovules numerous, in 2 rows in each cavity of the ovary. 

 Capsule 3-lobed, thick-walled, many-seeded. Seeds compressed, somewhat 

 cuneate, black. [Greek, signifying noble.] Perhaps 150 species. All these 

 plants, except the Sisal, are called '* Bamboo" in the Bahamas. We have 

 copied here the original descriptions of the Bahama species by Professor Tre- 

 lease, who had all our specimens for his investigation, and we have nothing to 

 add to them. 



Plants not suckering ; leaves broad, fleshy, curved. 



Leaves broad and stout, about 3 times as long as wide. 

 Leaves elongated-lanceolate, much longer than wide. 



Prickles of the leaf-margins 10-25 mm. apart, 2-5 

 mm. long. 

 Capsules broadly oblong. 



Leaves dull, gray : spine rather short. 

 Leaves somewhat glossy, greenish; spine 

 elongated. 

 Capsules narrowly oblong. 

 Prickles 5-10 mm. apart, about 1 mm. long. 



Spine stout ; prickles often with lenticular bases. 

 Spine slender ; prickles not lenticular. 

 Plants freely suckering ; leaves narrow, hard, straight. 

 Leaves erect ; flowers 3.5-5 cm. long, yellow. 



Leaves gradually tapering, deeply concave ; prickles 



deltoid. 

 Leaves abruptly acute, nearly flat ; prickles slender. 

 Leaves ascending ; flowers 4.5-6.5 cm. long, yellow-green. 



1. Agave Braceana Trelease, Mem. Xat. Acad. Sci. 11: 40. 1913 



Acaulescent, not cespitose. Leaves gray, broadly oblanceolate. nearly 

 flat, 19 by 65 cm. (or larger?) ; spine from brownish becoming gray, smooth, 

 dull, straight or gently curved, conical, flat or round-grooved to about the 

 middle or becoming involute, 3 by 10-15 mm., slightly decurrent; prickles 

 usually 5-10 mm. apart, 2-3 mm. long, straight or the lower gently recurved, 

 triangular, scarcely lenticular at base, the intervening margin straight, or con- 

 cave when they are raised on low green bases; inflorescence about 7 m. high, 

 paniculate; pedicels about 10 mm. long; flowers golden-yellow, 40-45 mm. 

 long; ovary 20 mm. long, nearly half as long again as the perianth, oblong- 

 fusiform; tube conical, about 7 mm. deep; segments 3-4 by 15-17 mm., three- 

 fourths as long as the ovary ; filaments inserted nearly in the throat, 35 mm. 

 long, about twice as long as the segments; capsules broadly oblong, 20 by 35 

 mm., shortly stipitate and beaked; seeds 6 by 8 mm.; bulbils unknown. 



Rocky and sandy soil, Abaco ; Great Bahama; Andros (?). Endemic. Brace's 

 Cextury-plaxt. 



2. Agave bahamana Trelease, Mem. ISTat. Acad. Sci. 11: 40. 1913. 



Acaulescent, not cespitose. Leaves dull grayish, rather narrowly lanceo- 

 late, concave, occasionally somewhat plicate, 15 by 200-300 cm,; spine from 

 brownish becoming gray, smooth, dull, slightly recurved, stoutly conical, 

 usually becoming involutely grooved below the middle, 4-5 by 10-15 mm., de- 

 current; prickles usually 5-10 mm. apart, 3-5 mm. long, reduced above and 

 below, straight or the longer ones appressed-recurved, triangular, scarcely 

 lenticular at base, sometimes on small green prominences, the intervening 

 margin nearly straight; inflorescence about 10 m. high, the upper third or so 



