172 HANDBOOK OF BROMELIACEiE. 



58. T. ANCEPS Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 771. Platystachys anceps 

 Beer. Phytarhiza anceps E. Morren in Belg. Hort. 1879, 368, t. 20, 

 21 (M.D.). — Leaves about 30 in a dense rosette, linear-acuminate 

 from a dilated base 2 in. broad ; blade 1-2 ft. long, ^-1 in. broad 

 at the base, thinly lepidote, striped vertically on the back towards 

 the base with distinct lines of red-brown. Peduncle 3-6 in. long ; 

 bract -leaves long-pointed. Inflorescence a dense simple spike 

 3-4 in. long, 1^2 in. diam. ; flower-bracts ovate, acute, densely 

 imbricated, 1^-2 in. long, an inch broad. Calyx reaching nearly 

 to the tip of the bract. Petal-blade oblong, lilac, f in. long, 

 shorter than the stamens. 



Hab. Trinidad, Fendler 832 ! Introduced into cultivation by Loddiges in 

 1823, and again from French Guiana by Melinon in 1878. Very near T. 

 comjpressa. 



59. T. PUNCTULATA Cham, et Schlecht. in Linn. vi. 53 (M.D.). 

 — Acaulescent. Leaves 30-40, densely rosulate from an ovate 

 base 1-| in. diam. ; blade linear-setaceous, 6-9 in. long, deeply 

 channelled at the base, which is not above J in. broad, rigidly 

 coriaceous, recurved, thinly lepidote. Peduncle ^ ft. long ; bract- 

 leaves long-pointed. Inflorescence a dense simple spike 3-4 in. 

 long, 1 1^-2 in. broad; flower-bracts ovate, acute, an inch broad, 

 1^ in. long, lower bright red. Calyx reaching nearly to the tip of 

 the bract. Petals lilac, convolute in a tube an inch longer than 

 the calyx, shorter than the stamens. 



Hab, Highlands of Central Mexico, Schiede 1006 ! Bourgeau 2961 ! 3075 ! 

 Hahn ! JJhde 183 ! Very near T. compressa. T. tricolor Cham, et Schlecht. in 

 Linn, xviii. 423 ! E. Morren in Belg. Hort. 1879, 162, t. 10, 11 (M.D.), is a robust 

 variety of this species with a branched spike. 



60. T. COMPRESSA Bertero; Eoem. et Schultes Syst. Veg. vii. 

 1210 (M.D.). T. setacea Hook, in Bot. Mag. t. 3275, non Sw. 

 Platystachys setacea Beer. — Leaves densely rosulate, ensiform- 

 acuminate from an ovate base 1|- in. broad ; blade 1-1^- ft. long, 

 f-1 in. broad low down, convolute in the upper half, rigidly 

 coriaceous, thinly lepidote, not striped on the back. Peduncle 

 ■|- ft. long ; bract-leaves crowded, with long rigid convolute tips. 

 Inflorescence a dense simple spike 6-8 in. loug, 2 in. diam. ; flower- 

 bracts ovate, reddish-yellow, If in. long, 1^^ in. broad low down, 

 rigid, thinly lepidote. Calyx nearly as long as the bract. Petal- 

 blade long, narrow, white, shorter than the stamens. 



Hab. Jamaica, Masson ! Purdie I Introduced into cultivation at the 

 Glasgow Botanic Garden in 1833. 



61. T. NANA Baker. — ^Yhole plant not above 2-3 in. high. 

 Leaves few, lanceolate, ascending, falcate, 1-2 in. long, j- in. broad 

 low down, densely lepidote. Peduncle very short. Spikes 1-2, 

 dense, distichous, 5-6-flowered, an inch long, ^ in. diam. ; flower- 

 bracts ovate-lanceolate, t-| in. long. Calyx shorter than the 

 bract. Petals not seen. 



Hab. Andes of Southern Peru, C. Gay ! (Herb. Mus. Par.). Collected 

 1839, 1840. 



