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TILLANDSIA pulchra. 
Elegant Tillandsia. 
HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA.— Nat. Okd. BROMELIACE^. 
Gen. Char. — Calyx trifidus, persistens. Corolla trifida, campanulata. Cap- 
sula trilocularis, loculis polyspermis. Semina papposa. 
Tillandsia pulchra ; foliis tenuissime subulatis canaliculatis sublepido- 
tis, spica simplici, bracteis flore brevioribus (roseis), corolla alba 
stamina excedentibus, laciniis apice patentibus obtusis. 
Parasitical; loosely adhering to the branches of trees, by means of a few 
simple, flexuose fibres. Leaves mostly radical, very numerous, 4—6 
inches long, subulate, about a quarter of an inch wide at the base, and 
gradually attenuated into a very long, slender extremity, quite entire, 
grooved, scarcely perceptibly mealy, of a dull bluish-green colour. 
Flowering stems hardly longer than the root-leaves, clothed with small 
leaves, which gradually assume the form of bracteas upwards. 
Spike 2-3 inches long, simple, consisting of about 10 or 12 Jhwers. Brae- 
tea almost as long as the flower, and half embracing it with its convo- 
lute margins, ovato-lanceolate, of a beautiful rose colour: the lower 
ones tipped with a green mucro. Calyx of three lanceolate, white, ap- 
pressed segments, of which one seems to be separated to the base ; they 
are shorter than the bracteas. Corolla about an inch long, pure white, 
tubular, of three linear segments, imbricating at the margins, scarcely 
united at the base, their extremity somewhat dilated, patent and ob- 
tuse ; texture delicate and flaccid. Stamens 6, shorter than the corolla, 
the filaments of all that I examined waved and wrinkled ; but whether 
this is a constant character or no, I am unable to say. Anthers oblong, 
yellow. Germen rounded, green. Style longer than the stamens, but 
shorter than the corolla, white. Stigma white, trifid, segments straight, 
obtuse and ciliated. 
Received at the Liverpool Botanic Garden from the Baron 
de Shack at Trinidad, upon the branch of the tree to which 
it was attached in its native forests, and this being fastened to 
the back-wall of the stove, and nourished by heat and moisture 
VOL. II. 
