Hefiifji iini BotanicHin . 1 
[June, 1871. 
TAB. 288. 
Natural Order Bromeliace^. 
Sub-order Tillandsie^e. 
Genus Tillandsia, Linn. 
Section Pla^tystachys, C. Koch. 
T. SETACEA {Sivartz, Prodr. Fl. Lid. Occ. i. 593). Turionibus subsessi- 
libus ca3spitosis, foliis basalibus 20 — 40 dense rosulatis 6 — poll, 
longis lineari-filiforraibus convolutis apice setaceis basi cite dilatatis 
coriaceis griseis concoloribus utrinque tenuiter albido-lepidotis exte- 
rioribus vel omnibus falcatis, caulibus erectis foliis paulo brevioribus 
foliis reductis basi longe vaginantibus munitis, floribus 6—20 in 
paniculatam congestam tbyrsoideara dispositis, sepalis siccis lanceo- 
latis basi connatis, petalis ligulato-spatbulatis violaceo-purpureis 
calyce duplo longioribus, staminibus cum stylo longe exsertis. — 
SchuUes, Jil, Syst. Vey. vii. 1207, non Hook. Bat Mag. t. 3275. 
T. tenuifolia, Linn, ex parte. T. pulchra. Hook. Exot. Fl. t. 154. 
Widely diffused in Tropical America, extending from Cuba 
southward to Uraguay and Chili. 
Tufts sessile or subsessile, often csespitose. Leaves twenty to 
forty in a dense basal rosette, six to twelve inches long, linear- 
filiform, convolute, suddenly dilated at the base, tapering into a 
long setaceous point, coriaceous, uniform gray-green, more or 
less albido-lepidote all over, falcately recurved. Stem erect, 
rather shorter than the leaves, closely wrapped round by the 
imbricating long sheathing bases of its numerous reduced leaves. 
Floivers six to twenty in a close thyrsoid panicle, which in poorly- 
developed examples is reduced to a simple spike. Bracts lanceo- 
late, acute, distichous, gray, scariose, six to nine lines long, 
many-nerved, wrapped tightly round the flowers. Calyx half an 
inch long, scariose, lepidote, the lanceolate divisions connate at 
the base. Petals bright violet-purple, ligulate-spathulate, twice 
as long as the calyx, patulous at the tip. Stamens and style 
both much exserted. Capsule twice the calyx, the gray horny 
divaricating segments filled with minute seeds on long filiform 
funiculi breaking up in copious fine white threads. 
Tab. 288. — 1, single flower complete; 2, petal with two stamens; 
3, pistil; 4, portion of a leaf: all magnified. — J. G. B. 
