76 
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 
acantha ZucG. Acta Acad. Leop. -Carol, xvi. 675; Engelm. 
Trans. St. Louis Acad. iii. 306, Collected Writings, 308; 
Baker, Amaryllideae, 168. A. Foselgerii Terr. Monogr. 
32. — Abundant on the limestone highlands of West Texas, 
and along the Kio Grande, as far east as Presidio, extending 
into Mexico and New Mexico. Mr. Nealley reports the 
Devil's river as the eastern limit. — Plate 31. — By error, 
the specific name was originally printed Lecheguilla. 
Specimens examined : — From Mi-. C. Wright, Nos. 1907 
(1851), 682 (1849), 1432 (1852), Mexican Boundary 
Survey; Dr. E. Palmer, 1878; O. Meusebach, Jan., 1880; 
Dr. V. Havard, June and Sept., 1880, 1881, Guadalupe 
Mts., El Paso, and Presidio; J. G. Lemmon, Organ Mts., 
May 18, 1851; G. R. Vasey, El Paso, 1880, 1881; Shaw's 
Garden, July, 1884; W. A. Evans, El Paso, June, 1891; 
Lieut. Emory's Second Mex. Bound. Survey, 213. 
The flowers I observed in Texas did not open their an- 
thers upon first expanding. The anthers were of a salmon 
tint which marked a contrast with the lower ones a day 
older, which showed a bright yellow coloring, caused by 
the dehiscence of the cells, and discharge of the pollen. 
I saw many plants in Texas showing a tendency towards 
a paniculate inflorescence, and Dr. Engelmann in Gard. 
Chron, June, 1883, gives a special description of specimens 
collected by Dr. Havard. A figure is given showing a 
cluster of ten capsules. 
A pest of the arid mesas and limestone cliffs of West 
Texas. The parenchyma of leaves and root furnish large 
quantities of aniole valuable for cleansing purposes.* Its 
fiber, called Tampico, Ixtle, or Ystle, is very valuablef 
where strength and durability arc required. 
Though this plant certainly shows affinities with A. 
heteracantha Zucc. and A. Foselgerii Salm-Dyck, it differs 
from them in having a more stiffly sul>-ereot and one-bided 
• Dr Havard. Proceedings of U. S. National Mnseum, 1S83, 518. 
Page 59 of this paper. 
