GUSMANNIA tricolor. 
Three-coloured Gusmannia. 
HEXANDMA MONOGYNIA.— Nat. Ord. BROMELIJE. 
Gen. Char. — Calyx inferus, 3-partitus, laciniis convolutis. Petala in tu^ 
bum convoluta (atque coalita). Antheroe in cylindrum coalitae. Cap-i 
sula trilocularis. Semina numerosa, oblonga, nuda. — Pers. 
Gusmannia tricolor. 
Gusmannia tricolor, Ruiz et Pavon, FL Peruv. v. iii. p. 38. t. 261.— Pers. 
Syn, V. i. p, 344. — Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 462. — Lindl. Coll. Bot. t. 8. 
Pourrettia sympaganthera, " Ruiz et Pavon, Syst. p. 82." 
Hahit and mode of growth of a Tillandsia or Bromeliq, ; everywhere gla- 
brous. Leaves radical, linear-ensiform, broad and involute at the base, 
plane and acute at the extremity, faintly striated, quite entire at the 
margin, from 1 to 2 feet long. 
Scape of about the same length as the leaves, clothed below with lanceo^ 
late, acuminate, very pale and large sterile bracteas, convolute at the 
margins, above having broadly ovate, acute floriferous concave green 
bracteas, streaked with red ; the uppermost of all bright orange-red. 
Flowers placed singly in each bractea, and shorter than it, about an inch 
long. Calyx deeply cut into 3 linear oblong, pale yellow, green, rigid, 
imbricated, upright segments. Corolla white, of 3 petals, their long 
claws united into a tube of a very delicate texture, the lamina ovate, 
erect, very rigid and cartilaginous, with the margin imbricating. Sta- 
mens 6, syngenesious. Filaments attached to the summit of the tube, 
and shorter than the corolla, below apparently decurrent with it, broad, 
white, cohering by their margins. Anthers oblong, at first yellowish, 
afterwards pale bluish-grey, formed of two cells, which open longitudir 
nally. Pistil superior. Germen oblongo-ovate, tapering into the linear 
filiform white Style, which is terminated by the trifid small Stigma. 
The Germen has three cells, each cell containing a considerable number of 
seeds, attached to a receptacle in the inner angle. 
* The No. 163. has occurred twice on the plates, by a mistake, which we did npt 
discover till it was too late to be able to rectify it. 
VOL. III. 
