G2 HANDBOOK OF EROMELTACE^. 



convex back, narrowed gradually from the middle to the point, the 

 marginal teeth minute. Peduncle stiffly erect, 1| ft. long ; bract- 

 leaves many, scariose, ascending, imbricated, bright red. Inflor- 

 escence a dense oblong capitulum 3 in. long, with the flowers, as in 

 Macrochoi'diiwi, immersed in cottony tomentum ; flower-bracts 

 minute, with a very long subulate point. Ovary with calyx 

 greenish, | in. long ; sepals ovate, obtuse, with a large mucro. 

 Petals purple, shortly protruded. 



Hab. French Guiana. Described from Prof. Morren's drawing, made 

 from a plant that flowered in the Liege Botanic Garden in 1880. Allied to jE, 

 calyculata and Pineliana. 



101. M. MucRONiFLORA Hook. in Bot. Mag.t. 4832. Hoplophytum 

 mucronijiorum Beer, Brom. 131. Hohenhergia miicronijiora Baker 

 in Eef. Bot. sub t. 284. — Leaves about a dozen in a rosette, lorate 

 from an ovate base, 1-1^ ft. long, 1|- in. broad, firm in texture, 

 green on the channelled face, not banded beneath, rounded to a 

 cusp at the apex, the marginal teeth spreading, horny, the lower 

 ^-^ in. long. Peduncle under a foot long ; several upper leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate, erecto-patent, bright red. Inflorescence a dense 

 oblong spike 3-4 in. long, simple or slightly compound at the base ; 

 flower-bracts small, broad, coriaceous, with a large cusp. Ovary 

 with calyx -|— J in. long ; sepals ovate, imbricated, with a large 

 oblique cusp. Petals bright yellow, cuspidate, ^ in. long. Berry 

 bright blue. 



Hab. Demerara ; Kaeiteur Fall, Appun 1 Introduced into cultivation by 

 Sir H. Barkly, when Governor of Demerara, in 1855. 



102. M. coNTRACTA Baker in Journ. Bot. 1879, 234. Billhergia 

 contracta Mart. ; Schultes fil. Syst. Veg. vii. 1263. — Leaves with a 

 dilated utricular base and a lanceolate blade l-lj ft. long, 1-1^ in. 

 broad, the lower edge-spines J-^ in. long. Peduncle 1^-2 ft. long ; 

 bract-leaves bright red, toothed, the upper 3-4 in. long. Inflores- 

 cence an oblong spike 3-4 in. long, with a flexuose tomentose 

 rachis ; flower-bracts ovate-acuminate, entire. -J— |- in. long. Sepals 

 lanceolate-deltoid, ^ in. long, not cuspidate. Petals orange-yellow, 

 f in. long. 



Hab. Brazil ; Valley of the Upper Amazon, Martins. 



103. M. NUDicAULis Griseb. Fl. Brit. West Ind. 593; Baker in 

 Journ. Bot. 1879, 234. Bromelia nudicaulis Linn. Bp. Plant. 409 ; 

 Hook. Exot. Flora, t. 143. Billheryia nudicaulis Lindl. in Bot. 

 Eeg. sub t. 1088. Hohenhergia nudicaulis Baker in Kef. Bot. sub 

 t. 284. Bromelia lutea Meyer Esseq. 145. Billhergia lutea 

 Schultes fil. B. quadricolor Hort. B. pyramidata Beer. Hoplo- 

 phytum nudicaule K. Koch (M.D.). H. lanuginosum Beer. Pothuava 

 spicata Gaudich. Atlas Bonite, t. 117. Hoplophytum spicatum and 

 unispicatum Beer. — Leaves about a dozen in a utricular rosette, 

 lorate from an oblong base, 2-3 ft. long, 2-3 in. broad at the 

 middle, horny in texture, plain green on the face, not banded on 

 back, rounded to a small cusp at the tip, the marginal prickles 

 usually small, deltoid-cuspidate, brown-black. Peduncle l|-2 ft. 

 long, with many scariose lanceolate bright red ascending bract- 



