22 — 
3/0 
triangular, dark colored spine, grooved on the upper side, and 
about % inch long. Scape 8 feet high, flowers in a long, loose 
raceme or contracted panicle; bracts lanceolate, about i inch 
long; branchlets 1-3 inches apart, 1-2 inches long, bearing 2-5 
(not opposed) flowers. The whole flowerbud, just about open¬ 
ing, nearly 1 inch long ; prismatic ovary equal to perigon ; tube 
very short, only 4 or £ of the lobes ; short stamens, which, when 
fully developed, probably will not be much longer than the peri¬ 
gon, from near the base of the tube ; anthers 4J-5 lines long. 
ff Stamina tubi fauci inserta. 
10. Agave deserti, n. sp.: acaulis; foliis crassis glaucis 
supra basin latissimam aculeato-dentatam leviter contractis ovato- 
lanceolatis sursum sensim attenuatis in spinamgracilem elongatam 
compressam ad medium anguste canaliculatam excurrentibus, 
margine sursum corneo obscuro infra herbaceo aculeis uncinatis 
flexuosis fuscis armato; scapo graciliore bracteis distantibus 
foliaceis lanceolate attenuatis dentatis stipato, ramulis paniculae 
superioribus erectis, pedicellis fasciculatis longiusculis; floris 
flavi ovario subprismatico perigonium fere aequante, tubo infun- 
dibuliformi brevissimo lobis oblongis erecto-patulis quater s. quin- 
quies breviore, staminibus loborum basi insertis ipsis lobis duplo 
longioribus ; capsula oblongo-prismatica breviter cuspidata. 
Eastern base of the Southern California mountains and in the 
adjoining deserts. FI. in June, but occasionally, ✓as most of these 
plants do, at other seasons.—The then Lieut. Emory,* in the ad¬ 
venturous expedition to California in the fall of 1846, was the 
t Q discover this species in Val^ition, southeast of San Felipe* 
A few years later Dr. Parry found it “on the arid hills and valleys” 
in the same region, and drew up a full description, but did not 
collect any specimens. Since then it was lost sight of until within 
this year, when horticultural collectors again brought it into no¬ 
tice. My specimens were obtained from Mr. G. N. Hitchcock of 
San Diego and Dr. E. Palmer. 
^ In his Notes on a Military Reconnoisance, Washington, 1848, p. 104, he says under date 
of Nov. 29: “We rode for miles through thickets of the centennial plant and found one in 
full bloom. The sharp thorns terminating every leaf were a great annoyance to our dis~ 
of them used as food.” A few flowers were saved and are now in the late Dr. Torrey’s 
herbarium. f*^ < ~**~/ /44VIA 
