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1 
BILLBEEGIA MOKELLIAXA. 
BILLBEEGIA HORELLIAJSTA. 
J\ r at. Order. — Bromeliaceje. 
Generic Character. — Biilbergia, Tluuiherg. — Perianth sis- 
parted ; the three outer calytine lobes equal, not keeled, erect 
or spirally convoluted, awned or unaivned, obliquely dilated 
towards the right side at the summit ; the inner corolline 
lobes much longer than the outer, spreading or erect at the 
apex, with scales or a double crest at the base within, rarely 
naked. Stamens six, epigynous; filaments filiform, three for 
the most part adherent to the interior lobes of the perianth ; 
anthers ovate, affixed by the back, incumbent or almost erect. 
Ovary inferior, three-celled. Ovules numerous, pendulous from 
the inner angle of the cells, anatropous. Style filiform ; stigmas 
three, petaloid, convoluted, or linear and crisped. Berry sub- 
globose, three-celled. Seeds numerous, naked or appendaged. 
— Herbs of tropical America, very frequently pseudo-parasitic 
on the trunks of trees, with or without scapes ; leaves ligulate, 
linear or ensiform, mostly spinulose-serrulate ; flowers spiked, 
paniculate or racemosely paniculate, floral spathes sometimes 
wanting, sometimes small or large, coloured. — {Endlicher, Gen. 
Plant. 1302). 
Billbebgia Morelliana. Morell's Biilbergia. — Leaves 
strap-shaped, guttered at the lower part, rigid, the edges paral- 
lel, beset with thorn-like teeth pointing forward at intervals of 
one and a half to three quarters of an inch, the surface deep 
green with transverse bands of white, consisting of the scurf- 
like deciduous outer layer of cuticle ; scape elongated, panicled, 
with remote broadly ensiform spreading petaloid bracts, one at 
the base of each abbreviated branch of the panicle ; flowers 
mostly crowded in threes at the axils of these large bracts, one 
almost sessile, the lowest with a single minute triangular bract- 
let, the others with a pair at the base of the ovary; calyx with 
the tube adherent and the free lobes erect, bluntly keeled, 
recurved at the apex, retusely emarginate and mucronate ; 
petals strap-shaped below, elongate -spathulate above, quite 
free, spreading at the summit when in flower, otherwise rolled 
spirally over one another ; filaments filiform, free, alternating 
with six minute obtuse membranous scales ; anthers linear, 
almost versatile ; ovary inferior, bluntly three-cornered, with 
three intermediate furrows, dilated above and below, truly 
three-celled, but with three small spurious cells in the imper- 
fectly united dissepiments ; ovules numerous, horizontal, in 
two rows in the inner angle of the cells, not quite reaching the 
top and bottom ; style filiform ; stigmas three, petaloid, falcate, 
spirally curled, a little longer than the stamens, shorter than 
the petals. 
Svx. — Tillandsia Morelliana, of the French gardens. 
BESCBIPTION. — This remarkably beautiful member of the Pine-Apple family bears leaves 
more than two feet in length, with a breadth of one and a half to two inches ; they are 
hard and leathery, and concave on the upper face near their insertion, ribband-shaped, with 
parallel edges, beset at intervals of one and a half to three quarters of an inch, with thorn-like 
spines pointing forwards, the surfaces being dull dark green, barred above and below with 
transverse bands of white, consisting of the deciduous scurf occurring generally in this family ; 
when these are rubbed off, the surface is shining. The flowering stalk is elongated and branched, 
bearing distant, alternate, somewhat sword-shaped petaloid bracts, mostly two to three inches 
long, and about three quarters broad in the greatest breadth ; in the axils of these bracts arise 
branches bearing about three flowers, one nearly sessile, the others on short stalks, all divergent 
from the main stalk ; the lowest flower has one, the others two minute triangular bractlets at 
the base of the ovary. Flowering stalks, bracts, and the tubes of the flowers, delicate reddish 
pink. Flowers large, two to two and a half inches long ; the tube of the calyx adherent to the 
inferior ovary, bluntly three-cornered, with three deep grooves and several smaller ones, about 
six lines long, thickened above and below ; the lobes of the calyx erect, bluntly keeled, about 
nine lines long, recurved at the summit, the point depressed backwards in a fold at tho mid- 
nerve ; the lower part of the calyx of the same colour as the stalks, the points of the lobes 
tinged with violet. Petals strap-shaped below, extending up into a spathulate spreading summit, 
about one and a half to two inches long, the upper part deep rich violet blue, shading into a 
more purplish tint, gradually fading out downwards. Filaments thread-like, pinkish white; 
anthers linear, orange-coloured; style thread-like, pale, terminating in three narrow sickle- 
shaped spirally- wound blue petaloid stigmas. 
Histokt, &c. — The present plant is figured from a specimen in the nursery of Mr. E. G. 
Henderson of Wellington Road, St. John's "Wood, who received it under the name of Tillandsia 
Morelliana, from the Continent. A Tillandsia it of course is not, inasmuch as it possesses a 
completely inferior ovary. Of the genera possessing that peculiarity it comes nearesl to liitl- 
bergia, although it exhibits certain deviations from the character of thai genus: in its keeled 
sepals, which are not obliquely dilated, its linear anthers ; which arc not well represented in our 
drawing), and in the elongated linear placentas bearing horizontal ovules. In the character of 
the perianth it approaches Disteganthus, but in most other respects differs. We have preferred 
leaving it as a Biilbergia to making a now genus, which will bo with more propriety left 
until the family receives a thorough revision. — A. H. 
Cultum:. — This singular and very elegant plant, like most of its congeners, does nol produce 
roots very abundantly, and is consequently impatient of toomuch moisture. 1; succeeds best sus- 
VOL. III. 
