PORTEA. ^ 21 



greenish, scariose, shorter than the flowers. Calyx inchiding the 

 ovary under an inch long ; segments ovate. Petals twice as long 

 as the tube, spreading only at the tip, violet. 



Hab. New Granada. Introduced into cultivation by Linden in 1873. 

 Described from a plant flowered by Mr. Wm. Bull about 1877. 



10. PoRTEA K. Koch. 



Sepals ovate, obtuse, strongly mucronate, united in a distinct 

 cup above the apex of the ovary. Petals liugalate, much longer 

 than the calyx, scaled at the base, spreading widely when fully ex- 

 panded. Stamens attached 3 to the summit of the calyx-tube, 3 to 

 the base of the petals ; filaments long, filiform ; anthers linear, 

 dorsifixed, versatile. Ovanj inferior, clavate-trigonous, 3-celled ; 

 ovules many in a cell, mucronate ; style long, filiform ; stigmas 

 linear, much twisted. Fruit small, indehiscent. — Leaves as in 

 Billberf/ia. Infiorescence an ample panicle ; stem-leaves bract-like, 

 bright coloured. Differs mainly from Streptocalyx by its ovate 

 sepals united in a distinct cup above the ovary. 



1. P. KERMESiNA Broug. ; K. Koch, Ind. Sem. Berol. 1856; 

 Eev. Hort. 1870, 230, with figure ; Antoine in Gartenfl. 1875, 129, 

 t. 829 (M.D.). Billhergia Brongniartii Kegel, Act. Hort. Petrop. iii. 

 283. B. ruhicunda K. Koch. — Leaves 8-10 in a utricular rosette, 

 lorate from an ovate base, above 2 ft. long, 1|- in. broad at the 

 middle, moderately firm in texture, bright purple on the back, plain 

 green or spotted with brown-purple on the face, deltoid at the tip, 

 the marginal prickles small, deltoid, brown. Peduncle ^ ft. long ; 

 stem-leaves bract-like, oblong, acute, erect, glabrous, bright mauve- 

 red. Inflorescence a dense oblong erect panicle 5-6 in. long ; 

 branch-bracts oblong, very convex, reddish, 2-3 in. long, hiding 

 the branches ; lower branches of 6-8 sessile much ascending 

 flowers on a slender nearly straight rachis ; flower- bracts oblanceo- 

 late, acute, greenish, scariose, nearly as long as the calyx. Ovary 

 clavate, |- in. long ; calyx rather longer than the ovary ; segments 

 as long as the tube, ovate with a large cusp. Petals violet, twice as 

 long as the calyx ; stamens reaching the tip of the petals. 



Hab. Brazil ; province of Bahia, Blanchct 2997 1 Introduced into cultiva- 

 tion by M. Porte, after whom the genus is named, about 1855. Described 

 from a plant that flowered at Kew in Jan., 1883. 



2. P. Gardneri Baker. — Leaves ensiform from a Inrge ovate 

 base, above a foot long, f-1 in. broad above the dilated base, 

 narrowed gradually to the point, moderately firm in texture, armed 

 with close conspicuous spreading dark brown deltoid-cuspidate 

 marginal spines, the lower ^ in. long, the upper gradually smaller. 

 Peduncle stout, flexuose, a foot long ; bract-leaves spreading, 

 lanceolate, scariose, tinged with red, 6-8 in. long, spinose towards 

 the tip. Inflorescence a dense ovoid cernuous panicle 8-9 in. long, 

 with a furfuraceous rachis ; lower branches only subtended by 

 large lanceolate red bracts; lower branches bearing 8-12 corymbose 

 flowers on long ascending slender furfuraceous pedicels ; ovary 



