194 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I26 



SUBKEY A 



I. Floral bracts serrate; flowers in more than two ranks. 

 2. Primary bracts foliaceous, spreading; spikes globose, to 15 cm. in diameter; 

 floral bracts thick, recurved; sepals 30 mm. long, free. 



81. Ae. fernandae 

 2. Primary bracts bracteiform, erect and forming an involucre about the in- 

 florescence; spikes longer than broad, small; floral bracts thin, erect. 

 3. Margins of the floral bracts decurrent, forming pouches ; sepals 9 mm. 



long ; flowers 32 mm. long 55. Ae. hamata 



3. Margins of the floral bracts free. 

 4. Primary bracts shorter than the branches; sepals unarmed, free; 



flowers 13 mm. long 56. Ae. caesia 



4. Primary bracts exceeding the branches; sepals mucronulate, connate; 



flowers 30-35 mm. long 57. Ae. f asciata 



I. Floral bracts entire or at most slightly erose. 

 5. Rhachis winged or excavated ; floral bracts decurrent and forming pouches ; 

 flowers in two ranks. (Fig. loi.) 

 6. Scape-bracts all densely imbricate; primary bracts entire, small; floral 

 bracts about equaling the ovary; sepals mucronulate 5-13 mm. long. 



51. Ae. distichantha 

 6. Scape-bracts massed toward the top of the scape but lax below ; primary 

 bracts serrulate; leaves concolorous (For species with dark-banded 

 leaves see note under 38. Ae. chantinii). 



7. Floral bracts exceeding the ovary; leaf-blades not narrowed toward 

 the base. 

 8. Spikes long-stipitate ; sepals unarmed, 10-12 mm. long. 



52. Ae. amazonica 

 8. Spikes short-stipitate or sessile; sepals mucronulate, to 7.5 mm. 



long S3. Ae. tillandsioides 



7. Floral bracts shorter than the ovary at anthesis; leaf-blades sub- 



petiolate; sepals apiculate, 5-8 mm. long 54. Ae. contracta 



5. Rhachis more or less angled but never winged nor excavated. 

 9. Floral bracts equaling or exceeding the sepals. 

 10. Inflorescence lax, tripinnate or more divided. 

 II. Floral bracts divergent, not touching one another; sepals 21-24 

 mm. long 16. Ae. blanchetiana 



11. Floral bracts imbricate; sepals 17 mm. long... 17. Ae. fraudulosa 

 10. Inflorescence dense. 



12. Leaf-blades with broad dark purple spots beneath; inflorescence 



ovoid, 7 cm. long; sepals free, 11 mm. long, mucronulate. 



18. Ae. orlandiana 

 12. Leaf-blades concolorous ; inflorescence cylindric or slenderly fusi- 

 form, nearly 30 cm. long. 

 13. Sepals free, 9 mm. long, unarmed. (Fig. 96.) . . 15. Ae. mutica 

 13. Sepals connate, 23 mm. long including the 5 mm. mucro. 



41. Ae. macrochlamys 

 9. Floral bracts distinctly surpassed by the sepals. 



14. The floral bracts in the form of a cylinder or cup, completely en- 

 closing the base of the ovary. (Fig. 97.) 



