38 HANDBOOK OF BEOMELIACEiE. 



copious spreading laxly spicate slender flexuose branches under an 

 inch long ; flower-bracts ovate-cuspidate, minute. Calyx with 

 ovary J in. long ; sepals ovate, as long as the ovary. 



Hab. Andes of Bolivia, Weddelll (Herb. Paris). Very near JS. laxiflora 

 Benth. 



14. M. PATENTissiMA Baker in Journ. Bot. 1879, 227. Bill- 

 hergia ? jmtentissima Mart. ; Schultes fil. Syst. Veg. vii. 1270. 

 — "Whole plant reaching a height of 4-6 ft. Leaves lorate-ensiform, 

 3-4 ft. long, 1-1^ in. broad, glabrous above, thinly lepidote 

 beneath, with minute marginal teeth. Peduncle 3 ft. long ; bract- 

 leaves lanceolate. Panicle 1-3 ft. long, with short spreading 

 closely-flowered spicate branches, at most 4-5 in. long ; flower- 

 bracts ovate, with a brown cusp, ^-^ in. long. Sepals ovate, 

 i in. long, with a large pungent mucro. Petals above ^ in. long, 

 pale lilac or reddish, not scaled at the base. 



Hab. Brazil, Martins. 



15. M. Edmonstonei Baker. — Leaves ensiform, from an ovate 

 base, l|-2 ft. long, comparatively thin in texture, glabrous on the 

 face, thinly lepidote on the back, narrowed to the point, the 

 marginal prickles small, brown, spreading, the lowest ^-^ in. long. 

 Peduncle slender, erect, a foot long ; bract-leaves small, adpressed. 

 Inflorescence a lax deltoid panicle 4 in. long ; upper branches 

 patent, simple ; lower deflexed with 2-4 spicate branchlets ; flower- 

 bracts ovate, cuspidate, J in. long. Ovary with calyx J in. long ; 

 sepals ovate-lanceolate, longer than the ovary. Petals shortly 

 protruded. 



Hab. Ecuador, Edmonstone ! (Voyage of the ' Herald,' just before his 

 death by a sad accident). Allied to JE. laxiflora and Barleei. 



16. M. Barleei Baker in Gard. Chron. 1883, i. 102. — Leaves 

 8-10 in a utricular rosette, lanceolate from an ovate base, 2-3 ft. 

 long, lJ-2 in. broad at the middle, horny in texture, pale green on 

 the channelled face, thinly white -lepidote without bands on the 

 back, narrowed gradually to the point, the lower marginal spines 

 J in. long. Peduncle erect, 1-lf ft. long ; upper bract-leaves red, 

 lanceolate, spreading. Liflorescence a lax panicle ^ ft. long, 

 2J-3 in. broad ; rachis stiff, white-pubescent ; branches all simple, 

 laxly 6-8-flowered; flower-bracts ovate, greenish, J in. long. 

 Sepals lanceolate, not mucronate ; ovary globose, black, with a 

 little white tomentum. Petals primrose-yellow, exserted ^ in. 



Hab. British Honduras. Introduced to Kew by Governor Barlee in 1877. 



17. M. BiLLBERGioiDES Bakcr. Hohenhergia ? billbergioides 

 Schultes fil. Syst. Yeg. vii. 1253. — Leaves about 8 in a utricular 

 rosette, ensiform, 1-lf ft. long, an inch broad ; marginal teeth 

 small. Peduncle under a foot long. Inflorescence a subspicate 

 panicle If in. long ; lower branches very short, 2-3-flowered ; 

 branch-bracts ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, spinoso-serrate, l-J-2 in. 

 long; flower-bracts ovate-acuminate, i in. long. Ovary with calyx 

 under f in. long ; sepals lanceolate, acute, longer than the ovary. 

 Berry the size of a small pea. 



Hab. Brazil ; province of Bahia, near Almada, Martins, 



