C 59 ] 



what has been described and figured as Ixtli and ivtlioides (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5893). In Dr. Hern's garden, situated just on the French 

 side of the Boundary Gorge at St. Louis, I saw a form with leaves 

 much thicker than usual (1^ inches thick at the base) and forming 

 a less dense rosette. The plants called Canfula and Rumphii in 

 the Riviera gardens are forms of rigida. Mr. Hanbury has just 

 floicertd a spineless form that agrees very well ivith the sisalana of 

 Yucatan and Florida. I am quite satisfied now that A. Houllettii, 

 Jacobi, is nothing more than undeveloped sisalana, and the 

 same holds good with a plant called laevis. One panicle of this 

 species at La Mortola was producing copious bulbilla?. The 

 peduncle, including the rhomboid panicle, does not reach a greater 

 height than 1% 15 feet. The bract leaves, like those of americana, 

 are small and distinct as compared with those of atrovirens" 



If this decision be accepted it is certain that the plants 

 named *' ' Cantula" and "Rumphii" at La Mortola cannot be 

 the plants of Roxburgh and Hassharl respectively. We possess 

 in India specimens received from Kew as <; Agave rigida " which 

 differ absolutely from any species naturalized in the East 

 Indies, and from Rumph ius' figure also. The reference to the 

 picture and account of A. ixtlioides in Bot. Mag. 5893 compli- 

 cates the question,, for the plant there depicted, after every 

 allowance for the effects of artificial nurture, could not pass 

 as conspecific with the Sisal Hemp of India. That the Indian 

 Sisal is the plant introduced from Yucatan to Florida by 

 Dr. Perrine, is certain ; see among other authorities Kew Bulletin 

 No. 62 of 1892, CCXXVII (Sisal Hemp) and Bulletin 

 No. 5, 1899, Dept. of Land Records and Agriculture, Bengal, 

 (Agave sisalana). 



A. sisalaua in India varies as regards its leaves from mar- 

 gins absolutely smooth to fairly thorny, but there is one Sisal 

 Hemp in this country and one only. Leaves with and without 

 prickles may be found on the same individual. 



To return to A. Cantala, Royle had evidently never seen 

 an authentic example of this (1853), nor had Wight, who does 

 not even mention Roxburgh's species. Wight (Icones VI. 

 pp. 18-19) says (under Agave vivipard). 



"The Agave americana or as it is usually called American Aloe, 

 now so common all over the country, belongs to the same genus and, 

 as the name imports, comes from the same country. They are not 

 Aloes. Rumphius has introduced a figure of this plant into his 



