TILLANDSIA. 157 



flower-bracts ovate, J-^ in. long. Sepals oblong, obtuse, | in. 

 long. Petal-blade oblong, bright yellow, ^-|- in. long. 



Hab. Mountains of Venezuela, Fendler 1507 1 New Granada, Andre 2389. 

 Introduced into cultivation in 1840. There are closely allied plants, which may 

 prove distinct specifically, in Mexico, the West Indies and Guiana. 



31. TiLLANDsiA Linn. 

 (Renealmia (Plumier) Linn. Gen. edit. 1). 



Sejmls free nearly or quite to the base, oblong or oblong- 

 lanceolate, often imbricated. Petals free, unguiculate; blade 

 spreading, oblong or obovate ; claw naked or appendiculate with a 

 pair of scales. Stamens hypogynous or 3 inner adnate to the base 

 of the petals, shorter or longer than the petals : filaments filiform ; 

 anthers linear or linear-oblong, dorsifixed. Ovary free, ampullaB- 

 form, 3-celled; style subulate, long or short; stigmas short, not 

 spirally twisted. Capsule coriaceous, septicidally 3-valved. Seeds 

 numerous, narrow, crowded, erect, with a long funiculus splitting 

 up into fine threads. — Habit very various. Leaves usually densely 

 rosulate, either thick and densely lepidote or thin and nearly naked. 

 Spikes distichous or multifarious, simple or panicled. Corolla 

 white, yellow or violet-purple. 



Key to the Subgenera. 

 '•' Leaves spaced out on a long stem. 



1. Strepsia. — Stems pendulous, filiform. Flowers solitary in 

 the axis of the stem-leaves. 



** Leaves rosulate, coriaceous, acuminate, more or less densely lepidote. 

 * Spikes distichous, 



2. DiAPHORANTHEMA. — Leafy stem short. Leaves subterete. 

 Flowers 1 or few. Style and stamens short. 



3. Phytarhiza. — Leaves rosulate, Flowers spicate or panicled. 

 Petal-blade obovate. Style and stamens short. 



4. Platystachys — Leaves rosulate. Flowers spicate or panicled. 

 Petal-blade oblong or Ungulate, usually lilac. Style and stamens 

 often longer than the petals. 



5. Pseudo-Catopsis. — Differs from Platystachys by its small 

 flowers, with capsule 3-4-times the length of the obtuse sepals. 



'^'* Spikes not distichous. 



6. Anoplophytum. — Flowers spicate or panicled. 



7. PiTYRopHYLLUM. — Flowcrs in a capitulum in the centre of the 

 rosette of leaves. 



