276 OENAMENTAL FOLIAGE PLANTS. 



broad, ascending, from three to six feet or even more in' 

 length, of a dark shining green above, lighter or some- 

 what glaucous beneath, armed at the margins and the 

 back of the mid-rib with short white spines. It is a very 

 handsome and ornamental plant. Native of the Philip- 

 pines. 



P. reflexus. — This is one of the handsomest of the whole- 

 genus. The leaves are pendulous or bent back, from 

 four to six feet long, dark shining green, armed with long 

 white spines on the edges, and reversed ones on the under 

 side of the mid-rib. Native of the East Indies. 



P. utilis. — ^Leaves broad, from three to six or eight feet 

 in length, tapering to a long point, glaucous green, saving- ' 

 at the margins, where they are dark red, and, as well as 

 the back of the mid-rib, armed with dark red spines ; the 

 base of the leaves is also a dark red. In a young state the 

 leaves are slightly pendulous, and then they are invaluable 

 as window plants, and for dinner-table decoration. Native 

 of Bourbon. 



P. VandermeersoJiii. — A very handsome and gracefal 

 plant. The leaves are narrow, ascending in a young state, 

 ultimately becoming pendulous, dark green, glaucous at 

 the base, the margins and back of the mid-rib armed with 

 long dark crimson spines. Native of and peculiar to- 

 Round Island, a dependency of the Mauritius. 



P. VeitcMi. — This very beautiful plant is of recent intro- 

 duction. The leaves are broad, somewhat pendulous, spiny 

 as in the other species, of a dark shining green in the 

 centre, and bordered with broad bands of pure white. It 

 is a native of the South Sea Islands, and was one of the 

 introductions of the late Mr. John Gould Veitch, whose- 

 early loss is much to be regretted. 



