131 
“ These leaves are seldom more than two feet long, little more than an 
“inch broad, being of a glaucous colour. The side leaves stand almost 
a ne but the centre leaves are folded over each other and 
“enclose the flower bud.” 
This may be accepted in a large sense as the representative species of 
which there are several sub-spec cies and varieties cultivated by the 
natives of Yucatan from time immemor desa 
According to Dr. oo (Trans. A icad. Science, St. Louis, Vol. 
Dec ; 
now applie 
r. Baker ha as given a HEN o of the Genus Agave in the Gardeners’ 
Chronicle (Vols. VII. and VII I., New Series, 1877). The plants men- 
tioned below are included under the Group Rigidæ, having the edge 
of the thin horny leaf without any distinct border, and the teeth (when 
present) small but distinct and deltoid. He remarks that this i is a con- 
siderable group of which A. lurida and A. rigida may be regarded as 
the types intermediate between the groups Americane and Aloidee, 
From a study of plants at Kew, Mr. Baker was inclined to look upon 
A. Ixtli, Karw., as the type and A. r igida, Mill., A. elongata, Jacobi, 
and A. sisalana, Perrine, as synon yms or varieties. But as in the 
place A. rigida, Mill, , has the priority in point of time, and (if we follow 
Dr. Engelmann) also represents the old aboriginal fibre plant of Yucatan 
(the Ghotans}, K would be better to retain this as the aggregate species 
and place the others among the varieties which have arisen in course of 
long cultivation in differant parts of the peninsula of Yucatan. 
We have then— 
A. RIGIDA, Mill. 
var. 1. A. Ixtli, pect a reine Hk.f., leaves 14-2 ft, long, 
teeth dist 
2. A. at Jacobi 3, leaves 4-5 ft., glaucescent and 
toothed. “Sac 
3. A. sisalana, Per e { ; leaves 4-6 ft. long, pale ace, 
not Les generally without teeth. “ Yaxc 
r. Engelmann in s cited above mentions that the oneal 
plant of A. rigida was, assomlinip to Miller, brought from Vera 
but his own speci collected in Y y Dr. Schott. He 
u 
states that Dr. Perrine and Dr. Schott independently studied a 
described in Yucatan this a pam, with its different forms 
economic uses Sepoy Doc. 300, Washington, March 12th, 1838), ‘the 
latter in the Re of the Agric cult natal Department at Washington for 
1869. According tc to Dr. Engelmann, “both agree that there is a common 
“native species in Yucatan, called Chelem by the aboriginal inhabitants ; 
“ but from time immemorial a number of varieties, all ounn by 
“ much longer leaves, and one also by the absence of m spin 
“and differing among themselves in the quantity and ee of their 
“ fibre, have teen cultivated by the natives of Yucatan, and are a staple 
“ product of that country to this day, furnishing the well known Sisal 
‘“ Hemp. The people know them as Taigin Jae or Henequen 
9 ‘ (Perrine), and diskagnich. as Dr. Schott reports, the Yarci (Yashki) 
‘as furnishing the best quality, and the Sacci (Sacqui) with the largest 
“quantity of fibre, Chucumei, larger than the last, produces coarser 
8895 12 
