64 MISSOCJEI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
strongly advocated* the introduction of tropical plants in 
Southern Florida. As a result of his patriotic and labori- 
ous efforts, a number of species were planted at Key West, 
and on thePerrine Grant, Biscayne Bay, in 1836, 1837, and 
succeeding years. The A. rigida sisalana, or Yaxci (pro- 
nounced Yaashki) has taken most kindly to its new home. 
It forms dense thickets in many places, and seems to have 
become fully naturalized below the frost line in Florida 
and the adjacent islands. There seems to be every reason 
for believing that the efforts now being made in Florida 
and the Bahamas in its cultivation, and in improving 
methods for the extraction of its fiber, may result in adding 
greatly to the wealth of both places. Its leaf produces 
less fiber than the Yucatan form, but it *' excels in fine- 
ness, softness, flexibility and luster." 
CLASSIFICATION AND STUDY OF SPECIES. 
The genus Agave may be characterized as being acaules- 
cent or shortly caulescent, having leaves in a close rosulate 
tuft, with broad clasping bases, usually fleshy, and more or 
less rigid, traversed by strong, elastic, longitudinal fibers, 
and generally armed with terminal and lateral spines; 
scape bracteate; inflorescence subspicate or paniculate; 
flowers articulated on short, persistent pedicels, bearing one 
or two bracts, usually brownish or greenish yellow, pro- 
terandrous : perianth narrowly funnel-shaped to campanu- 
late, with six nearly equal oblong or hnear segments; 
tube straight or somewhat curved; filaments filiform, 
folded in the bud, in the flower usually extending consid- 
erably beyond the segments ; anthers large, versatile, in- 
trorse; ovary oblong to cylindrical; septal glands large, 
and in many species secreting a remarkable quantity of 
nectar; style at last usually equaling or exceeding the 
stamens, filiform, shghtly clavate, with three commissural 
• Senate Document No. 300, March, 1838. Dr. Schott, Agricultusal 
Report. 1869. 23T. 
