30 HANDBOOK OF BROMELIACE^. 



1. A. MicRANTHus Brong. in Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 2, xv. 870. 

 Bromelia Acanga Scliult. fil. Syst. Veg. vii. 1281, non Linn. — 

 Tufts from a slender rhizome. Leaves clasping each other in a 

 cylindrical utriculus for 6-9 inches, only 1-2 produced, linear, 

 1^-2 ft. long above the clasping base, J-|- in. broad, erect, mode- 

 rately firm in texture, with minute marginal prickles. Peduncle 

 slender, above a foot long ; leaves small, scariose. Inflorescence a 

 lax decompound ovoid panicle 6-8 in. long, with very flexuose red 

 rachises ; flowers sessile, each subtended by a small ovate cuspidate 

 bract. Ovary including sepals ^ in. long. Petals yellow, l-12th 

 in. long. Berry purple, globose, ^ in. diam. 



Hab. Amazon valley, Spruce ! French Guiana, Martin ! Poiteau ! Melinon ! 

 Leschenaultl Sagotl Introduced into cultivation from Demerara by Sir Henry 

 Barkly in 1859. Bromelia Acanga Linn., seems to be made up of two different 

 plants, the description referring to B. Pingiiin, but most of the synonyms to 

 Karatas Plumieri. 



16. Streptocalyx Beer, 



Sepals free down to the ovary, ovate-lanceolate, much twisted, 

 cartilaginous, distinetly mucronate. Petals oblong, with a long 

 claw, free down to the base, without basal scales. Stamens shorter 

 than the petals ; filaments elongated ; anthers linear, dorsifixed. 

 Ocanj inferior, oblong-trigonous ; ovules many in a cell ; style fili- 

 form ; stigmas twisted. Friilt small, indehiscent. — Leaves densely 

 rosulate, cartilaginous, spine-edged. Inflorescence an ample panicle; 

 leaves of the peduncle small and bract-like. Petals violet. Differs 

 only from .Echmea by its very contorted sepals and more protruded 

 scaleless petals, and scarcely worth separating generically. 



1. S. PoEPPiGii Beer Brom. 141 (M.D.). — Acaulescent. Leaves 

 20 or more forming a utricular rosette, lorate, 1^ ft. long, 1-| in. 

 broad at the middle, deltoid-cuspidate at the apex, dark glaucous 

 green on the face, thinly white-lepidote on the back, with minute 

 deltoid teeth. Peduncle about as long as the leaves ; bract-leaves 

 red, oblong-lanceolate, serrated. Panicle drooping, not so dense as 

 in the other species, about a foot long ; branch-bracts as long as 

 the branches, oblong, bright red, serrated, the lower 2-3 in. longr 

 Lower branches with about 6 sessile erecto-patent flowers ; flower- 

 bracts minute, membranous, round-cuspidate. Ovary oblong- 

 trigonous, farinose, ^ in. long; sepals ^ in. long, tinged with red. 

 Petal-blade oblong, violet, protruded ^ in. beyond the sepals. 



Hab. Amazon valley ; first discovered by Poeppig at Ega, and re-gathered 

 by Dr. Spruce in Oct., 1849. Not known in cultivation. 



2. S. Vallebandi E. Morren in Belg. Hort. 1883, 13, t. 1—2. 

 Lamprococcus Vallerancli Carriere in Eev. Hort. 1877, 129, with 

 tab. — Acaulescent. Leaves about 40 in a dense rosette, with an 

 ovate base 3-4 in. broad, the blade 3-4 ft. long, 1^ in. broad at the 

 middle, narrowed gradually to the point, bright green and chan- 

 nelled down the face, grey and finely lineate on the back, the 

 marginal prickles close, small and deltoid. Inflorescence including 



