620 



FURCR.EA 



except that the Purcrseas are given more heat and water. 

 F.iiiijanlea has a very pretty variegated form, which 

 makes a useful pot-plant. 



As a rule, Furcra-aa bear fruit not more than once, and 

 then die without producing suckers. However, they 

 produce while iu flower an immense number of bulbels, 

 which may be used for propagation. It is impossible to 

 say at what size or age the plants will bloom. Grown 

 in pots, they may take a century. On the other hand, 

 plants from bulbels have been known to flower at 3 years. 



'"^s^i^i 





A r rl ( n fin I I iciinlh/ptesent, deltoid: 



>i II I It t II I {/ Hicrcea piopei ) 



1 1 1 I I II t I I spines ahsent 



gigantSa, \ mt L\ ■, 10 tt long, 4-6 in broad at 



middle, 2M-3 m above bise, usually without marginal 



spines, rarely with a few near the base peduncle 20-40 



ft long odor of fls strong Trop Amer Naturalized 



in Mauritius, Madagascar, India. B.M.2250. O.C.III. 



23:227. K.H. 1857, pp. 20G, 207. Var. variegilta, Hort., 



has variegated Ivs. 



BB. Trunk none or short : spines present. 



0. Length of Ivs. 12 tt. or more. 



altiasima, Todaro. A recent and little known species 



nameil at Palermo, Italy. Franceschi writes that it has 



hardly any trunk : Ivs. bright green, with very few 





:)ing. It is 



cc. Leyigth of Ivs. 5-6 ft. 

 ilegans, Todaro. Lrs. 4-5 in. broad at middle. 3 in. 

 above base, rough on the back; prickles large: pedun- 

 cle 20-25 ft. long. Mex. 



ccc. Length of Ivs. Ss ft. 

 D. Prickles usually large-sized. 

 E. Panicle reaching JO-IS ft.; branches slightly 

 compound. 

 Cub^nsis, Haw. Lvs. 3-4 in. broad above middle, IH 

 in. above base, the tip convolute; prickles large, dis- 

 tant, hooked: peduncle 5-6 ft. long. Odor of fls. faint. 

 This and /'. gigantea are widely spread in trop. Amer. 

 and often cult, in the Old World. They are the oldest 

 in cult. All the rest are rare. \'ar. in^rmis, Baker, is 

 spineless. B.M.6543. .*'. Lindeni, Jacobi, has varie- 

 gated lvs. I.H.21:186. 



EE. Panicle reaching SO ft.; branches copiously 

 compound. 



tuber6sa, Ait. Lvs. a trifle longer and narrower than 

 in /"'. (.'H/>t?ns/.s, 2-3 in. broad: fls. sweet scented. Int. by 

 Franceschi, 1900. 



DD. Prickles iniddle-sized. 



pub^scenB, Todaro. Baker doe.s not say that the lvs. 

 are not convolute at the tip, nor does be distinguish the 

 Iv.s. from those of F. Culjeii.iix. except in the smaller- 

 sized prickles. It is presnmiiil , il ^ly species in 



Furcraea proper with a i.ul ■ ■ : Peduncle 



scarcely longer than the lv>. i m . , . ,,^ a.s long as 

 the peduncle ; branches co|.iiH|.;\ ciihi-Miiiid. Trop. 

 Amer. B.M. 7250. 



AA. Texture of lvs. flexible and wavy: spines atjsent : 



minute teeth on margin. (Subgenus RazHu.) 



B. Trunk 5-6 ft. high: lvs. glaucous. 



Bedinghausii, K. Koch {F. Bofylii, Andr^. Fucca 

 Parmeiitih-i, Koczl. Jiiizlia rigia, Hort.). Lvs. 3-4 

 ft. long. :!-4 in. broad at middle, 1 in. above base, 

 permanently glaucous on both sides, very rough on the 

 back: intior. 15-20 ft. high. Mex. R.B. 1863, p. 327; 

 1883, p. 133 (full history). R.H. 1887,p. .3.53 ; I8S5, pp. 

 468,469. B.M. 7170. Gn. 52, p. 197. G.C. HI. 9:489. 



BB. Trunk finally 40-iO ft. high: lvs. not glaucous. 



longaeva, Karw. & Zucc. Lvs. 4-5 ft. long, 4-5 in. 

 broad, narrowed to 2 in. above base, the roughness on 

 the hack only on the keel: inflor. 40 ft. long. Mex. B. 

 M.5519. G.C. II. 16:053. 



F. Franceschi, G.W. Oliver, and W. M. 



FUBZE. crier, particularly U. Europaus. 



