BILLBERGIA. 71 



Subgenus 1. Billbekgia proper. 



1. B. PYRAMiDALis Liiidl. ill Bot. Reg. sub t. 10G8 ; Sclinitz. Ic. 

 i. t. 65; E. Mon-en in Belg. Hort. 1873, 289, t. 16. Browelia 

 pijramidalis Sims in Bot. Mag. t. 1732. — Leaves 10-12 in a short 

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

 middle, thin in texture, plaui dull green on the face, thinly white- 

 lepidote and obscurely fasciated on the back, narrowed to a deltoid- 

 cuspidate tip, the marghial teeth minute but distmct. Peduncle 

 erect, about a foot long ; upper bract-leaves lanceolate, bright red, 

 3-4 in. long, hiding the lower half of the spike. Flowers 20-30 

 in a dense erect spike 3-4 in. long. Ovary ohlong-cylindrical, 

 thinly white- mealy, ^-^ in. long; sepals linear-oblong, as long as 

 the ovary. Petals mauve-scarlet, 2 in. long, violet at the tip, 

 spreading in the upper half inch. Stamens and style nearly as 

 long as the petals. 



Var. BicoLOR Lindl. in Bot. Reg. t. 1181. B. hicolor Lodd. 

 Bot. Cab. t. 1819. B. Locldujesil Steud. — Flowers with the two 

 colours, violet and red, not so much blended as in the type. 

 Leaves more distinctly fasciated on the back. 



Var. zoNATA De Vriese in Tuinbow Flora, 1855, 353, t. 8. — 

 Leaves broader and more obtuse than in the type, more distinctly 

 fasciated on the back with white. 



Var. B. FARiNosA K. Koch, herb. ! — A stunted form, with a few- 

 flowered slightly drooping spike and plain dull p^rey-green leaves. 



Var. B. Croyiana De Jonghe ; Lemaire, Jard. Fleur. t. 413. 

 B. setosa Hort. jEdimea setu/era Hort. — Leaves erect, with the 

 dorsal zones conspicuous. Peduncle longer than in the type. 

 Flowers more numerous ; petals acute, red edged with violet. 



Hab. South Brazil, Brackenridge ! Boog ! Glaziou 11690 ! Introduced 

 into cultivation in 1815, and at present one of the commonest species, under 

 many forms. 



2. B. THYRsoiDEA Mart.; Schultes fil. Syst. Veg. vii. 1260; 

 Hook, in Bot. Mag. t. 4756 ; Lindl. in Paxt. Flow. Gard. iii. t. 74 ; 

 Lemaire, Jard. Fleur. t. 267 ; E. Morren in Belg. Hort. 1873, 295, 

 t. 17. i>./a.s-^?fcosa Beer, Brom. 110. Pitcairnia fastuosa Morien, Ann. 

 Gand iii. t. 112. — Leaves 12-15 in a utricular rosette, lorate from 

 an ovate base, 1-1^ ft. long, 2 in. broad at the middle, not rigid, 

 obscurely lepidote on the plain green face, not transversely banded 

 on the back, deltoid-cuspidate at the tip, the marginal prickles 

 minute. Peduncle a foot long ; bract-leaves bright red, the upper 

 ascending and nearly hiding the flowers. Flowers 30-40 ni a 

 dense spike, the lowest with large bracts. Ovary oblong-cylindrical, 

 thinly white-mealy, ^ in. long ; sepals linear-oblong, as long as the 

 ovary. Petals Ungulate, 2 in. long, bright red with a violet-purple 

 tip. Stamens nearly as long as the petals ; anthers linear, yellow, 

 ^ in. long. Stigma overtoppmg the anthers. 



Var. B. SPLENDIDA Lemaire in Jard. Fleur. t. 181 — 182. — More 

 robust than the type, with more numei'ous bright-coloured flowers 

 and broader bracts. 



Var. B. LONGiFOLiA K. Koch & Bouche Ind. Sem. Berol. 1851 : 



