182 HANDBOOK OF BROMKLIACE.E. 



102. T. POLYSTAOHYA Linn. Sp. Plant. 410 (M.D.). Platystachi/s 

 jjoJystachya Beer. P. digitata Beer. — Leaves about 20, densely 

 rosulate, ensiform-acuminate from an ovate base an inch broad, 

 1-1^ ft. long, -|— f in. broad low down, rigidly coriaceous, deeply 

 channelled below the middle, finely lepidote. Peduncle shorter 

 than the leaves ; bract-leaves with long free points. Panicle 

 |— 1 ft. long; spikes many, ascending, dense, simple, J in. diam., 

 2-4 rarely 6 in. long; branch-bracts small, ovate, greenish ; 

 flower-bracts much imbricated, reddish, oblong, acute, f in. long, 

 ■| in. broad. Calyx a little shorter than the bract. Petals violet, 

 connivent in a cylindrical tube, twice as long as the calyx. Capsule- 

 valves linear, an inch long. 



Hab. Mexico, Central America, Columbia, and common in the West 

 Indies. I cannot separate specifically T. festncoides Brong. T. macrostaclnja 

 Klotzsch (Platystachys Beer), gathered in Haiti by Ehrenberg, is a robust form 

 with long spikes. 



103. T. Balbisiana Schultes fil. Syst. Veg. vii. 1212 ; E. Morren 

 in Belg. Hort. 1879, 98, t. 6, 7 (M.D.).— Leaves about a dozen in 

 a rosette, with ventricose ovate utricular bases 1|~2 in. long, an 

 inch broad ; blade linear-acuminate, spreading, rigidly coriaceous, 

 6-9 in. long, ^ in. broad low down, finely lepidote. Peduncle 

 ^-1 ft. long ; bract-leaves with recurved linear tips. Spikes few, 

 dense, distichous, 2-3 in. long, ^ in. diam., forming a short 

 panicle ; flower-bracts ovate-oblong, acute, f in. long, obscurely 

 lepidote. Calyx rather shorter than the bract. Petals lilac, con- 

 volute in a cylindrical tube ^ in. long. Capsule-valves linear 

 IJ in. long. 



Hab. Florida, Mexico, and West Indies. Best distinguished from the 

 small forms of T. polystachya by the utriculate bases of the leaves. Intro- 

 duced into cultivation by Houzeau in 1874. 



104. T. Blanchetiana Baker. — Basal leaves not seen. Panicle 

 deltoid, a foot or more long ; lower branches with 3-4 branchlets ; 

 final spikes dense, 3-4 in. long, | in. diam. ; flower-bracts ovate, 

 acute, f-| in. long. Calyx as long as the bract. 



Hab. Brazil; Bahia, jBZa?ic7iei ! (Herb. Mus. Brit.). "Reai T. pohjstachya. 



105. T. LoRENTziANA Griscb. Symb. Fl. Argent. 1878, 332. T. 

 didisticha Baker. Aiwplophytum didistichum E. Morren in Belg. 

 Hort. 1881, 164. (M.D.). — Leaves about 20 in a dense rosette, 

 lanceolate-acuminate, rigidly coriaceous, 6-9 in. long, |-| in. broad 

 above the dilated base, rigidly coriaceous, densely finely lepidote on 

 both surfaces. Peduncle 6-9 in. long ; lower bract-leaves with 

 long spreading points. Inflorescence a short panicle, composed 

 of 3-8 dense distichous spikes, 2-3 in. long, ^ in. diam. ; branch- 

 bracts small ; flower-bracts oblong, acute, greenish, |— f in. long. 

 Calyx as long as the bract. Petal-blade oblong, white, ^ in. long. 

 Stamens shorter than the petals. Capsule l^—li- in. long. 



Hab. Argentaria ; province of Cordoba, Lorentz 69 ! Hieronymus I Para- 

 guay, Balansa 613 ! 4744 ! Near T. polystachya. Flowered by M. Jacob- 

 Makoy, at Liege, in 1880. 



106. T. Engleriana Wittm. in En^jl. Jahrb. xi. 63. — Leaves 



