NOTES ON AGAVE. 313 
inserted a little higher up in the tube. The plants bore no fruit, but produced an abundance of buds, by which they 
propagate senor and from which this interesting form has been multiplied in this country and in Europe. 
If this plant is, as is most probable, only a aaltivated variety of A. rigida, it is of the greatest importance for the 
study and ves understanding of the Agaves, indicating, as it does, the extent of variation which they may undergo. 
It shows that the size of leaf and scape and color of leaf, are of no great specific value; and also that the 
presence or absence of spiny teeth on the margin is not an unalterable character, not any more than the [319 (31)] 
cartilaginous margin decurrent from the terminal spine. The presence of a trunk, the proportions of the 
leaf (in A. rigida and all its varieties the length equals 12-14 times the width), probably the form of the terminal 
spine, the character of the inflorescence, and, above all, the form and proportions of the flower and its parts, re 
constant, and perhaps also the proliferous character of the inflorescence of some species. 
15. AGAVE PALMERI, 7. sp.: acaulis; foliis respi sursum attenuatis in spinam gracilem teretem ultra 
mediu canaliculatam excurrentibus, margine _aculeis | inzequali<us szepius recurvis flexuosisve atro fuscis dentato ; 
lobis vix longiore stamina longe-exserta medio paulo ines gerente ; capsula gracili prismatica brevi-cuspidata 
in stipitem contracta, seminibus minoribus pa oaks verruculos. 
In the mountains of Southern Arizona Dr. Schott collected the flowers in 1855 ; in 1869, Dr. E. Palmer, who 
during ten years has made Arizona and the adjacent regions the field of his explorations, and for whose services to 
botany in that district this species is named, gathered more complete specimens and seeds ; and last year, 1874, Dr. 
Rothrock, of Lieut. Wheeler’s expedition, brought very fine specimens found there at an altitude of 6,300 feet. — 
Flowers July and August. 
1is species seems to take in the southern part of Arizona the place of A. Parryi of the northern part of that 
territory, and is used there for the same purpose ; it is easily distinguished from it by its longer and narrower leaves, 
the much less deeply divided perigone, and the slender capsule and small seeds. — Leaves 10-20 inches long, 2-24 wide, 
slightly contracted above the base, long pointed ; terminal spine 8-14 lines long, deeply channelled to above the 
middle, decurrent with brown, horny margins pair 2 inches; lateral teeth 4-? inch apart, 1}-2 lines long, often 
interspersed with smaller ones, straight, or usually hooked, or often, especially the lower ‘nse flexuous. Scape 8-12 
feet high (bracts not noticed by the co geet branches of the panicle repeatedly and loosely ramified, ultimate 
pedicels crowded, t e long. Flowers 12-2 inches long ; perigone 10-12 lines long, “an filaments, 
anthers, and style, ude sree usually a little shorter than the tube, exterior ones strongly cucu 
much thickened at the apex, interior shorter, broader and thinner ; nectariferous part of tube, moe os [320 (32) ] 
insertion of the stamens 24-3 lines long, a little longer than upper part of tube; exsert part of filaments 
about the length of perigone, anthers 8 lines long; capsules slender, 18-24 lines long, 7-8 wide; seeds among the 
smallest of this section 24 lines in the longest ssnaeis easily distinguished by the minute tubercles, 0.01 line wide, 
which, different from other Agave seeds, cover the surface. 
16. AGAve WISLIZENI: acaulis ; foliis ovatis supra basin tts angustatis medio latissimis acutis, spine sub- 
flexuose supra late exarate: margine acutiusculo decurrente, dentibus rigidis atrofuscis superioribus majoribus distan- 
tibus soe westak ibn parvis confertis subdeflexis ; panicula laxiflora; ovario perigonium et tubo lobos fere equante, 
stamini um tubo adnatis longe exsertis ; capsula gracili Je utrumque acuta nec stipitata, areolis 
seminum pints centeaia — A. scabra, ‘Salm , Bonpl. 7, 89 ; Jacobi, Ag. 
This interesting species was discovered by Dr. A. Wislizenus on “te ‘cebobaated march of Doniphan’s corps 
through Northern Mexico, on the Nazas River near San Sebas southeast corner of the State of Chihuahua, 
not far east of Parras, May 10, 1847, in flower and fruit. Living ib were sent by me to Prince Salm and seeds to 
different European correspondents, among others to Prof. A. Braun of Freiburg. Two years later Gen. v. Jacobi 
obtained some of the young plants raised from these seeds in the botanic garden of that Sechippape and afterwards 
communicated them to Prince Salm, who described them (1858) under the inappropriate name A. scabra, though, as 
the pi expressly states, they are perfectly smooth on both sides.” As thus the published name is inadmissible, 
I roper to substitute for it that of the discoverer of this and so many other interesting plants of Northern 
Seiad 
Jacobi describes his specimens (then 16 years old, and, as he thinks, full grown) as 8 inches high and 15 in 
diameter, rosulate and somewhat squarrose, with broad, nearly rhombic and almost flat leaves, 5 inches 
long, 34 wide, pale grayish-green, teeth distant and curved downwards. The leaf of the wild plant, now [321 (33)] 
Cites me, is 8 inches long and 4 wide, terminal spine very stout, 10-11 lines long, decurrent about th 
same distance ; arrangement of marginal teeth quite peculiar, the uppermost ones the largest, 14-25 By long from a 
gave asperrima, Jacobi, is one of the few rough ones, and the only hairy one known, I believe, is 4. pubescens, lately 
described by Regel. This species, obtained from Mexico and flowered at St. Petersburg, is one of the smaller ones and seems 
to belong to the first section. ms 
