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DISTEIB. Native country unknown* introduced from cultivation in Yucatan 

 in 1834 to islands (Keys) off the peninsula of Florida and there naturalized. 

 Introduced into the West India Islands partly from Florida partly from the 

 American continent. Supposed by Schott and Engelmann to be derived from a 

 wild species but further evidence as to Yucatan species is wanted ; there appear 

 to be several in cultivation there. Cultivated in Australia, Fiji, Hawaii and 

 German East Africa. 



In India this species varies as regards presence or absence 

 of spines on the leaf margins. "We have seen (a) spines fully 

 developed, (6) spines partially and irregularly developed, and 

 (c) spines altogether absent on leaves of the same individual 

 plant. 



Agave sp H 



Leaves 20 35, oblong-lanceolate, not forming a rosette, 

 the inner ascending at rather a sharp angle with the axis 

 from a stout caudex, which is altogether hidden by their much 

 dilated bases which attain a thickness of four inches and over,f 

 the ends recurved for about a fourth of the total length and 

 drooping, dull dark green, very often glaucous, reaching seven 

 feet in length and ten inches in breadth at the widest part, 

 which is above the middle, marginal prickles distant (at 

 intervals of li to 2 in.) stout falcate yellow-brown from a 

 broad pale cushion which is inserted in the leaf edge, its pellicle 

 being easily Feparable from the leaf cuticle and leaving a 

 regularly defined lunate scar on detachment of the thorn, 

 terminal spine not decurrent rather short but stout slightly 

 recurved; scape attaining 20 feet with the panicle, which 

 consists of rather slender wavy main branches spirally inserted 

 one above the other at about a foot's interval on the main stem, 

 fascicles of blossoms somewhat crowded at the ends of the main 

 branches but not thyrsoidly congested, perianth about equal 

 to the germen which is rather sharply constricted just below 



* In "Travels, etc" (Philadelphia 1791, London 1794) by the younger 

 Bartram there is an account (p. xix of Introduction) of a Euagave which the 

 author calls 'A. Vivipara,' but evidently solely because it was producing bul- 

 bils abundantly, which he found on a sandy strip of the Florida coast near the 

 mouth of the " South Mosqueto " River. 



For reasons which need not be detailed here it seems not unlikely that this 

 was A. sisalana Perrine, and had been introduced (from the W. India 

 Islands probably) by Spanish colonists, or even previously (of. p. 225 of the same 

 work) by the natives. 



f In most EuagavCS and FurcrSBas the outer leaves droop and wither 

 with age and also when the plant is flowering ; characters taken from the leaves 

 apply to leaves in their prime which are usually in the middle of the series. 



