PINE- APPLE; AGAVE OR AMERICAN ALOE. 52." 



of the Dutch, a century or two ago. To such an excess were 

 fictitious speculations carried, that the madness of the period was 

 not unaptly termed Tulipomania. Single bulbs were bargained 

 for, to be bought or sold, for upwards of 500 apiece. 



716. The subdivision of Bromeliacece^ or the Pine- Apple 

 tribe, is separated by some Botanists to a considerable distance 

 from the others, on account of the hard dry character of the 

 leaves, and the firm herbaceous structure of the calyx, the sepals 

 of whicii are not coloured as in the previous tribe. The most 

 characteristic species is the Pine- Apple, which is believed to 

 have been originally confine<I to the New World, and to have 

 been propagated thence, by the early discoverers, to those parfr, 

 of Asia and Africa in which it has been subsequently found 

 apparently growing wild. It is not known to have been culti 

 vated in England, until the end of the 1 7th century ; but at the 

 present time, the skill and attention of British gardeners have 

 rendered the fruit grown in this country more prized for flavour 

 and elegance, than that produced in its native climates. Great 

 expense, however, is incurred for this purpose ; so that a Pine, 

 which might be bought for sixpence in a West Indian market, 

 costs the English grower almost as many pounds. This is very 

 different from ordinary fruits, consisting of a large number of 

 ovaria with their perianths grown together and become succu- 

 lent, somewhat as in the Bread-fruit (. 673). 



717. To this tribe would seem properly to belong the Agave 

 or American Aloe, which, from its strong general resemblance, is 

 commonly associated with the true Aloe ; it is included, however, 

 by Lindley amongst the Amaryllideae. Its various species were 

 originally natives of tropical regions, where alone they attain 

 their proper size ; but they have been introduced into the South 

 of Europe, where they will grow wild in the open air. The 

 leaves have very much the character of those of the Aloe ; 

 and from the midst of them is sent up after a long interval, a tall 

 and elegant flowering stem, which attains a height of from 20 to 

 40 feet, growing very rapidly when once its development begins. 

 The period before flowering in Mexico is from eight to eighteen 

 years ; and in the specimens grown in this country, the interval 



