KARATAS 543 
three-celled and many-seeded. The species are natives of Tropical 
America and the West Indies. 
KARATAS FULGENS (glowing). Leaves about twenty, 
strap-shaped, spreading, a foot long, green, mottled with 
darker green. Flowers in a large head, violet and red, surrounded by 
bract-leaves of a brilliant scarlet colour. The commonest and most 
showy species. Introduced from Brazil in 1849. 
K. HUMILIS (lowly). Leaves slender lance-shaped, strongly toothed, 
recurved, bright green; the lower ones mealy. Flowers and bract-leaves 
crimson. Introduced from Mexico about 1850. 
K. INNOCENT (St. Innocent’s). Leaves a foot long, strap-shaped, 
with toothed margins; under-side reddish purple. Flowers bright 
orange-red. Introduced from Brazil, 1854. 
K. PLumieRrI (Plumier’s). Leaves 4 to 8 feet long, slender, awl- 
shaped, spiny-edged. Flowers pink. Introduced from West Indies, 
1739. 
Principal Species. 
K. SCHEREMETIEWI (Scheremetiew’s). Leaves about 1 foot long, 
strap-shaped, finely toothed. Flowers with white tube and violet-blue 
segments. The flower-cluster is surrounded by a few short leaves 
of a bright red colour. Introduced from Southern Brazil, 1858. 
Plate 249. 
K. SPECTABILIS (remarkable). Leaves about twenty, strap-shaped, a 
foot or more long, green, tinged and banded with red-brown. Flowers ina 
dense head, purple and red. A popular garden plant. Introduced from 
Brazil in 1872. 
Karatas require stove treatment and plenty of moisture 
with sunshine. When in flower they may be removed to a 
warm greenhouse, or into a dwelling-room, with safety, and they will 
maintain their flowers in good condition for a longer period. In their 
native habitats they chiefly grow in the decayed vegetable matter that 
accumulates in the forks of the trees. It will therefore be found con- 
ducive to success if they are potted in a mixture of leaf-mould, peat, and 
loam, in equal parts, with the addition of a little sharp sand. The 
drainage must be perfect; and in order to prevent its clogging with the 
finer particles of soil, the layers of broken crock should be covered with 
moss before the compost is put in. They may be grown from seeds, 
treated as if they were Gloxinias, and potting them singly into small 
ts as soon as they can be handled. Each growth flowers but once, 
afterwards developing one or two basal suckers, which should be removed 
and grown on separately. All the strong-growing Bromeliads are best 
treated in this way. The old growth may be thrown away. _ 
Cultivation. 
