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(<?) is a true Aloe, and (d) a Tillandsia or allied Bromeliacea* 



(b) should be Agave americana of Linnaeus, because Kaspar 

 Bauhin, Clusius and Ccesalpinius are cited for the species, but 

 its identity with the Mexican " Metl " or " Manguei " is ques- 

 tioned, very full references being given to the Spanish and 

 English authors, who had dealt with the " Metl." 



The local name of the Jamaican plant is given as 

 "Caraca," and it is said to be frequent on the stonier and 

 drier hills of that island. 



Several accounts of " Caraguata " are referred to also, and 

 we may say at once that " Caraguata " or " Keratto " is a 

 comprehensive name locally applied in different countries to 

 different Agaveas, though usually, perhaps, to certain species 

 of Furcraea: but in S. America to sundry Bromeliaceae 

 also. 



(c) is identified by Sloane with the Henequen of older 

 travellers, and he suggests that it may be one of the u deux 

 dernier es pites qui n'a des pet its picquans aux feuilks comme 

 r ananas " mentioned by Du Tertre, as well as the " Pati seu 

 Metl lenissimum " of Hernandez. Of this he says ^ad mar- 

 gines viarum Insulce Jamaica locis campestribus ct sylvosis 

 crescentem observavi." Martius (I.e.) observes that the name 

 " Henequen " belongs to the ancient language of Haiti, and 

 was applied in the Antilles indiscriminately to different species 

 of Furcraea and Agave, the corresponding Carib term being 

 " Pita." There are other grounds for thinking that the Sisal 

 Agave had been already naturalized in the West Indies 

 before its recent re-introduction, and on the whole it seems 

 likely that the Pati of Hernandez and Sloane 's Henequen 

 represent Agave sisalana, Perrme. 



Towards the end of the same 17th century the Commelins, 

 Jan and Kaspar (uncle and nephew) were successively in 

 charge of the Amsterdam Garden, and published tracts on 

 different species of Agave, the most important for the present 

 purpose being the younger Commelin's Excursus in the 

 Praludia (Ley 'den , 1703} on a species which he describes and 

 figures as Aloe americana polygona, and identifies with 

 hunting's Aloe americana minor which is Eay's No. II. | 



Commelin, relying, as we suspect, on Ray, or perhaps 

 Munting, who were in their turn influenced no doubt by the 

 drawing in Hernandez, says that his plant is the Theometel of 



