54 HANDBOOK OF BROxAIELIACE.E. 



Subgenus 6. Platy^chmea Baker. 



73. M. DiSTicHANTHA Lemaire in Jard. Fleur. t. 269 ; Hook in 

 Bot. Mag. t. 5447 (M.D.). Blllbergia polystachija Paxt. Flow. Gard. 

 iii. t. 80. Hoplophi/tuni distlchanthum Beer, Brom. 136. Hohen- 

 hergia cUstichantha Baker in Saund. Eef. Bofc. sub t. 284. — Leaves 

 15-20 in a utricular rosette, with an ovate base 4-5 in. long and an 

 ensiform blade 2-2-|- ft. long, an inch broad at the middle, firm in 

 texture, plain green on the face, thinly white-lepidote not banded 

 on the back, narrowed to the point, the edge-prickles middle-sized, 

 hooked, horny, black. Peduncle erect, 1|— 2 ft. long ; bract-leaves 

 imbricated, all adpressed. Inflorescence a dense oblong panicle 

 4-5 in. long, with crowded erecto-patent densely-flowered distichous 

 branches 1-lf in. long, subtended by small ovate bracts ; flower- 

 bracts round-cuspidate, J in. long, adnate by the edges to the 

 rachis. Calyx with ovary -| in. long, both red ; sepals oblong or 

 oblong-lanceolate, cuspidate. Petals red-purple, i in. longer than 

 the calyx. 



Hab. Paraguay, Balansa 610 1 Introduced into cultivation about 1852, 

 and needing only cool treatment. 



74. M. BRASiLiENSis Kegel Gartenfl. 1885, 258, t. 1202 (M.D.). 

 Chevalliera grandiceps Griseb. Symb. Argent. 329. — Leaves about 20 

 in a utricular rosette, lanceolate from a long ovate base, above 2 ft. 

 long, 1^ in. broad at the middle, horny in texture, plain green on the 

 channelled face, thinly white-lepidote not banded on the back, 

 narrowed gradually to an acute point, the marginal prickles close, 

 middle-sized, deltoid-cuspidate, with a large black tip. Peduncle 

 erect, 1| ft. long; bract-leaves imbricated, adpressed. Inflor- 

 escence a dense oblong panicle 4-6 in. long, with numerous erecto- 

 patent or spreading dense-flowered distichous branches lJ-2 in. 

 long, subtended by small ovate red branch-bracts ; flower-bracts 

 J in. long, orbicular, mucronate, with margins adnate to the axis. 

 Calyx with ovary J in. long, bright red ; sepals oblong-cuspidate, 

 imbricated. Petals lilac, ^ in. longer than the calyx. 



Hab. Central and South Brazil. Burchell 4556 ! 4654 ! Regnell 437 1 

 Glaziou 11691 1 13245 ! Argentaria ; Oran, Lorentz (& Hieronymus I Introduced 

 to the St. Petersburg Garden by Dr. Glaziou in 1885. I doubt this being more 

 than a variety of ^. distichantha. It is probable that Hoplophytum poly- 

 »tachyiim Beer, Brom. 137, founded on a very rough drawing in the Flora 

 Fluminensis {Tillandsia polystachya, vol. iii. 1. 138) belongs here. 



75. M. Glaziovii Baker in. Journ. Bot. 1879, 133 ; E. Morren 

 in Belg. Hort. 1880, 240, 1881, 271, t. 13 (M.D.).— Leaves 20 in a 

 rosette, lorate from a short ovate base, IJ ft. long. 2 in. broad at 

 the middle, horny in texture, plain green on the channelled face, 

 thinly white-lepidote, not banded on the back, deltoid-cuspidate at 

 the tip, the marginal prickles small, black-pointed. Peduncle a 

 foot or more long ; bract-leaves much imbricated. Inflorescence a 

 dense oblong panicle 3-4 in. long, with many short dense-flowered 

 erecto-patent distichous branches, subtended by small ovate bracts ; 

 flower-bracts \ in. long, round-navicular with a distinct mucro, 

 adnate by their sides to the rachis. Calyx with ovary ^ in. long ; 



