70 HANDBOOK OF BROMELIACE.C. 



deltoid-cuspidate at the a^oex, the marginal teeth minute. Flowers 

 in a globose capitulum 2-3 in. diam., sessile in the centre of the 

 rosette of leaves just like a Nidiilarmm, overtopped by a large 

 number of ovate serrated acute ivory-white or greenish-white 

 bract-leaves. Calyx white, an inch long ; sepals oblong, acute, as 

 long as the ovary. Petals greenish, shortly protruded. 



Hab. South Brazil. Introduced into cultivation by Linden. Described 

 mainly from Prof. Morren's drawing, made from a plant that flowered May, 1878. 



18. BiLLBEKoiA Thnnh. 



Sepals linear-oblong, not mucronate, free down nearly or quite 

 to the cyathiform apex of the ovary. Petals Ungulate, much 

 longer than the sepals, scaled at the base, usually spreading 

 widely when expanded. Stamens nearly as long as the petals, 

 3 epigynous, 3 attached to the base of the petals between the 

 scales ; filaments long, filiform ; anthers linear, dorsifixed, versatile. 

 Ovari/ oblong, inferior, 3-celled ; ovules many in a cell ; style long, 

 filiform ; stigmas linear, adpressed, contorted. Fruit indehiscent, 

 usually about the size of an olive. Seeds small, brown, clavate. 

 Leaves few, arranged in a rosette with a long utricular base, mode- 

 rately firm in texture, usually lorate, spme-margined. Leaves of 

 the peduncle bract-like, scariose, the upper often bright red and 

 spreading. Inflorescence a dense or lax spike or raceme or little- 

 branched panicle ; flower-bracts small, scariose, not spine-pointed, 

 often obsolete. Flowers the most showy of any of the genera of 

 Bromeliea, 



Subgenus Billbergia proper. — Sepals usually longer than the 

 ovary. Petals si^reading widely when expanded, not curling up 

 spirally. 



Inflorescence a dense erect spike (Jongliea Lemaire). 



Sp. 1-2. • 

 Inflorescence lax, erect or suberect. 



Sepals \-^ in. long .... Sp. 8-6. 



Sepals f-1 in. long Sp. 7-12. 



Inflorescence lax, drooping. 



Petals entirely green . ... . Sp. 13-14. 



Petals tipped with violet-blue. 



Leaves narrowed gradually to the point Sp. 15-21. 



Leaves narrowed suddenly to the point . Sp. 22-25. 



Colour of petals not known . . . Sp. 26-27. 



Subgenus Libonia [Lemaire). — Sepals very short, slightly 

 connate at the base. Petals convolute in a tube, spreading only at 

 the tip Sp. 28. 



Subgenus Helicodea [Lemaire). — Petals usually green, rolling 

 up spirally to the base. Rachis and ovary mealy, the latter deeply 

 sulcate. Inflorescence drooping. 



Petals green Sp. 29-34. 



Petals violet ...,., Sp. 35-36. 



