t 



Agaveae (also certain other fibre plants) or to their products 



22,37 



20 



22, 64, 

 &c. 



We have not traced Sloane's authority (possibly an edition of De 

 Flacourt's work), but the plant was perhaps a Sansevieria, or the 

 Sow-string Hemp identified by Martius with 'Sanseviera launginosa/ 

 which appears however to be a Cordyline ; see Sow-string Hemp 

 (3). On the other hand there is a Furcraea madagascariensis of 

 Haworth ; what this was we cannot say, but it is highly improbable 

 that any Furcraea should be found in Madagascar unless introduced 

 from America, through the Mauritius possibly, or St Helena. 



See Anana de Pite, Bowstring Hemp (3) and Laffa. Identified 

 by Lamarck with a Furcraea grown in the Mauritius. 



The scape or flowering stem of Euagave and Furcraea. When this 

 is thrown up from the trunk the plant is said to ' pole. ' Cf. Hampe, 

 Mast, and Maypole. 



Bullil, which see. 



This is given as the source of ropes which were carefully tested at the 

 Arsenals and exhibited in 1857 at Madras. ' Pooty Munjee* is 

 referred to * Hibiscus cannalina.' See also Cuthala Nar. 



The national beverage of Mexico, (Tequila, Sotol, Mescal, &c. being 

 distilled spirit), obtained from sundry species of Euagave (See 

 Pulque, Agave &c.) The name occurs under the form of Pulco and 

 Pulcre in writers of the early 17th Centu^, but the origin is 

 obscure, and the statement that Pulcu is an Araucanian word for a 

 drink of Peru wants confirmation. 'Pulcro* is a Spanish word, 

 and Pulco or Pulque may be derived from it. Pulqueria is a shop 

 or booth for the sale of Pulque, also called Cantina. 



The true Agave americana of Linnaeus, (B) of this Bulletin, is to 

 all intents a purely ornamental species, and its native country is not 

 known at present. It is practically of no economic importance. 

 Whether Agave Vera Cruz, Miller, D of this Bulletin (A. ameri- 

 cana and A. mexicana of S. Europe) is one of the Pulque yielding 

 species or not remains doubtful. Recent American authorities 

 mention A. atrovirens of Karwinski (which is commonly identified 

 with A. Salmiana, Otto) as the chief source in the Apam plain and 

 other centres of the Pulque cultivation. This appears to be near our 

 Agave (C) sometimes called, but wrongly, ' A. Jacquiniana.' 

 * Agave mexicana' is a name to which there is practical objection. 

 Ignatio Blasquez (quoted by Dodge) states that there are 33 

 varieties of maguey which grow or are cultivated in the Apam 

 district and 10 Pulque Magueys in Cholula. The brothers Blas- 

 quez held that the best species of Pulque Maguey was undescribed, 

 and named it ' A. Maximileanea, ' but their distinctions were too 

 fine for either scientific or industrial purposes, apparently. 



