BEOMELIACEUUS PLANTS. 71 



They should be potted in good turfy, sandy loam, and may 

 be increased readily by cuttings of half- ripened wood inserted 

 in a brisk bottom heat. 



B. glabra. — This species has now become a general 

 favourite, and is frequently to be met with at our horti- 

 cultural exhibitions. It is neat and compact in habit of 

 growth, requiring of course proper training, and has bright 

 green smooth leaves, and a panicled inflorescence, smaller 

 than that of B. speciosa, each branchlet bearing a triplet of 

 cordate-ovate acute rosy bracts, while the flowers are a 

 light straw colour. It is more useftil for general purposes 

 than the next species, as it is not only a very free-blooming 

 plant, but it continues blooming all through the summer 

 months, producing an abundance of its glorious floral bracts 

 upon every little shoot. Native of South America. 



B. speciosa. — This plant is much stronger and larger in 

 all its parts than the foregoing. The stems are branched, 

 and abundantly furnished with large recurved spines, and, 

 as well as the ovate leaves, are pubescent ; it bears immense 

 panicles of large cordate bracts of a delicate lilac rose, 

 shrouding the whole plant in a mass of lovely colouring, such 

 as cannot be adequately described. This plant should be 

 planted out, and may be several years before it flowers ; but 

 when it does blossom it will then continue to do so, and 

 will amply repay for lost time. It is a grand climber for a 

 stove conservatory. Native of Brazil. 



BROMELIACEOUS PLANTS. 



Under this head we include the following genera : — 

 ^chmea, BiUbergia, Bromelia, EncJioUrion, Guzmannia, 



