.ECHMEA. 45 



Ovary with calyx as long as the bract. Petals white, protruding 



iin. 



Hab. Country unknown. Described from Prof. Morren's drawing, made 

 from a plant that flowered in the Botanic Garden of Li^ge, Aug. 1869. 



40. M. GiGANTEA Bakcr. Hoplophytum giganteum E. Morren, 

 inedit. (M.D.). Billbergia gigantea Hort. — Leaves 12-20 in a 

 utricular rosette, lorate from an ovate base, 3-4 ft. long, 3 in. 

 broad at the middle, stiffly suberect, green on both surfaces, 

 rounded to a cusp at the apex, the marginal prickles small, 

 ascending, deltoid, concolorous. Peduncle stout, about a foot long, 

 hidden by the connivent bases of the leaves ; upper bract-leaves 

 large, lanceolate, erecto-patent, greenish red. Inflorescence a 

 dense bipinnate panicle 4-5 in. long, with many sessile erecto-patent 

 branches, subtended by large pale lanceolate bracts ; flower-bracts 

 ovate-acuminate, pale, rigid, f in. long. Ovary with calyx shorter 

 than the bract. Petals whitish, protruded about half an inch. 



Hab. Country unknown. Described from Prof. Morren's drawing, made 

 from a plant flowered in the Botanic Garden of Brussels, May, 1876. Habit of 

 ^. lingulata, with long flower-bracts like exsudans and aquilega. We have 

 had it at Kew for some time, but it has not yet flowered. 



41. M. viRENs Brong. inedit. — Leaves not seen. Inflorescence 

 a narrow panicle consisting of 15-20 oblong multifarious heads 

 about an inch long, f in. diam., the upper sessile, the lower on 

 short spreading peduncles; branch-bracts lanceolate, the lowest an 

 inch long ; flower-bracts ovate, cuspidate, ^ in. long. Ovary with 

 calyx ^ inch long; sepals ovate, as long as the ovary, conspicuously 

 mucronate. Petal-blade oblong, ^ in. long. 



Hab. French Guiana. Described from a cultivated specimen in the Paris 

 Herbarium, received from Quesnel in 1848. Near. ^. lingulata. 



42. M. LINGULATA Bakcr in Journ. Bot. 1879, 164. ^. 

 Flumieri E. Morren. Bromelia lingulata Linn. Sp. Plant. 409. 

 Hoplophytum liugulatum Beer, Brom. 139. Chevalliera lingulata 

 Griseb. M. Brit. West. Ind. 591. — Leaves with a large oblong base 

 4-5 in. broad and a lorate lamina 3 ft. long. 3-4 in. broad at the 

 middle, horny in texture, glabrous on the face, thinly white- 

 lepidote on the back, rounded to a deltoid-cuspidate apex, the 

 marginal teeth minute. Peduncle stout, erect, much shorter than 

 the leaves. Inflorescence a dense or lax ovoid panicle a foot long, 

 consisting of 20-40 oblong spikes, the upper sessile, the lower 

 shortly peduncled, subtended by lanceolate bracts l|^-2 in. long ; 

 flower-bracts broad ovate, mucronate, coriaceous, f in. long. 

 Ovary with calyx ^-| in. long, much compressed ; sepals ovate, 

 minutely mucronate. Petals pale, shortly protruded. 



Hab. Jamaica, Robins ! Porto Kico, Sintenis 92 b. 2000 ! 6888. Also 

 according to Grisebach, Antigua, Guadeloupe and Guiana. Mentioned by 

 Miller as a garden plant in 1771, and has been grown lately at Berlin and Paris. 

 It is in Plumier's drawings made in 1689 — 1697 (vol. v. tab. 65 — 66) under the 

 name of " Caraguata clavata et spicata foliis serratis." 



43. M. POLYCEPHALA Baker in Journ. Bot. 1879, 164. — Leaves 

 not seen. Inflorescence a panicle about a foot long, composed of 

 30-40 subglobose dense sessile strobiliform heads under an inch 



