i 
VRIESIA SPECIOSA. 
VEIESIA SPECIOSA. 
N'at. Order, Bbomeliack-i:. 
Vriesia SPECIOSA, Hookcr, Showy Vriesia.— Leaves broadly 
oblonfj, obtuse, with a mucro, canaliculate, quite entire, gla- 
brous, naked, black-banded ; scape scaly, spotted with black ; 
spike elongated, scarlet, coloured ; bracts lanceolate, acumi- 
nate, closely imbricated, eonduplicate-keeled, one-flowered ; 
flowers white, exceeding the bracts. 
Synonysty.— V. speciosa. Hooker in Bot, Mag, t. 4382. Til- 
landsia splendens, Hort. Paris. 
Generic Character. — Vriesia, Lindh>j. Sepals three, in- 
volute equal, shorter (always?) than the petals, revolute at the 
apex. Scales two to each petal, semi-adnate, undivided. Sta- 
mctis exserted ; three free inserted at the base of the petals, 
three inserted between the petals, and connate with their bases, 
anthers linear, smooth, extrorse. Ovary half-inferior, conical ; 
stigma three-lobbed, lobes convolute and sinuate, villose. Leaves 
flat (or canaliculate), erect. Flowers distichous, distant, bracts 
large, canaliculate, coloMXGi.—^Lmdlaij Bot, Beg., 1843). 
BESCRIPTION. — Leaves radical, a span or more long, lorate oblong, canaliculate, or almost 
semi-cylindrical, very concave at the base, tbe margin eutii-e, tlie apex inflexed, blunt, but 
tipped with a mucro, colour dark green, with black transverse bands. Scape arising from the 
centre of the leaves, a foot and a-half long (including the spike), terete, scaly, green, with 
black spots ; this is terminated by a compact spike of lanceolate, acuminate, complicate-com- 
pressed, carinated, closely imbricated bracts, each includ- 
ing a single white ^OM^er. Flowers longer than the bracts, 
cylindrical, curved, soon withering. Calyx of three ob- 
long, scarious, obtuse, erect sepals. Corolla of three 
linear-spathtdate petals, with two scales within at the base. 
Stamens six, rather longer than the petals. Ovary almost, 
if not quite superior. Style filiform, longer than the 
stamens.— .Bo;. Mag. t. 4382. 
This plant was sent to Kew by M. Neumann, from 
the Jardin des Plants, under the name of Tillandsia 
splendens. — A. H. 
HiSTOKT, &c. — This very showy plant was published 
by Sir W. J. Hooker in the Botanical Magadne t. 4382 
(1848). Nothing appears to be known of its history, 
except that it was intro- 
duced to English gardens 
from those of the conti- 
nent. The figm-e was pre- 
pared from a fine example 
commimicated in March 
1 850 by Messrs. Lucombe, 
Pince & Co. of the Exeter 
Nursery. The entire plant 
is represented in the ac- 
companying vignette. It 
is as yet rare in collections, 
though eminently deser- 
ving of extensive cultiva- 
tion. Though the flowers 
themselves are ephemaral, 
yet the plant continues for 
a long time exceedingly 
ornamental, the most 
showy part, the spike of 
richly coloured bracts, 
being very enduring. Gradually the bright scarlet of the lower bracts become duller, and 
eventually greenish, and at last this colour extends over the whole spike. 
Cttlture. — The culture of this species is the same as that of ^chmea discolor, given at 
1.— M. 
, 2 c 
