ACANTHACEAE. 



61 



pumila, Bull, " List of New Plants," No. 143, 1878, p. 4 ; (fig. " Bot. 

 Mag." t. 6167). — Brazil. A low growing species. Leaves largo, 

 cordate, ovate-oblong, acute ; spike 3 inches long ; bracts large*, 

 closely adprcssed, dull purple ; corolla 11, inch long, orange-scarlet, 

 much exceeding the bracts, tube slender, slightly curved, arched 

 at top. 



var. splendens (fig. "Gartenfl." 1104). — Bracts acute, green. 

 punctata, "Gartenfl." (1882), 184=Chamissoniana. 

 i?oez///=aurantiaca var. Roezlii. 

 Sinitzini=nitena var. Sinitzini. 



squarrosa, Nees, " Mart. PL Bras." ix. 89. — Brazil. Leaves 

 crowded, elliptic, acuminate, about 10 inches long, often white- 

 banded ; spikes terminal, solitary, or ternate ; flowers yellow or 

 orange, If inch long ; bracts 1 to 1!, inch long, yellow or orange, 

 densely imbricate. 



var. citrina (fig. "PL des Serres," 809). — Bracts of a beautiful 

 citron colour. 



var. Leopoldii. (fig. " Fl. des Serres," 889).— Midrib and main 

 veins pure white, underneath pale green ; flowers yellow, nearly 

 hidden in the bracts ; bracts red, broad-obovate, obtuse, crenate 

 or serrate chiefly towards the apex, or entire. Syn. A. chrysops. 



var. Louisae. " Kew List." — Leaves narrow elliptic, midrib 

 and main veins beautifully white-banded. 



This species and its varieties are rare and beautiful stove plants. 

 Sulphurea, Hook. (fig. " Bot. Mag." t. 5951).— Guayaquil, Ecuador. 

 Leaves 6-9 inches long, olliptic to ovate, abruptly acuminate ; 

 petioles | inch, stout ; spike 5-8 inches long, terminal, erect ; 

 flowers yellow, bracts 1 inch long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, slightly 

 toothed towards the apex, imbricate ; corolla tube curved, half 

 hidden in the bracts, lobes spreading, 1] inch across, upper lip 

 erect, narrow, convolute, lower of 8 lobes, the middle one broad 

 with a red spur at base. In the way of auranticica, but flowers 

 yellow. Introduced by Messrs. Veitch. 

 tetragona, Nees, DC. "Prod." xi. p. 295; "Bot. Reg." t. 1477; 

 (fig. " Bot. Mag." t. 1578). — West Indies. A rather straggling, 

 tall-growing species. Leaves large, broadly ovate, tapering to a 

 point ; spikes terminal and axillary, often densely aggregated, 

 tetragonous, 4-6 inches long ; bracts small, ovate ; sepals a little 

 longer than the bracts ; flowers bright scarlet, 2-3 inches long, 

 tube arcuate. Syn. A. cristata. Very common in cultivation. 



var. imperialis (fig. " Gartenfl." 1354). — Spikes terminal ; 

 flowers scarlet, four times as long as the brownish bracts. 



var. grandis. — Venezuela. Leaves nearly 1 foot long, 4 inches 

 broad, with a long tail-like point ; spikes crowded, terminal ; 

 rachis woolly. 



variegata, Morel, "Fl. des Serres," ser. i. x. (1854-5), 33, t. 981 ; 

 (fig. "Bot. Mag." t. 4899). — Brazil. Leaves very short-petioled, 

 ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, dark green with white veins; spikes 

 8 inches long, terminal, narrow ; flowers small, yellow ; bracts 

 carinate, oblong, entire, blunt, orange; corolla tube nearly hidden 



