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cartilaginous margin decurrent from the terminal spine. The 
presence of a trunk, the proportions of the leaf (in A. rigida and 
all its varieties the length equals 12-14 times the width), proba¬ 
bly the form of the terminal spine, the character of the inflores¬ 
cence, and, above all, the form and proportions of the flower and 
its parts, remain constant, and perhaps also the proliferous char¬ 
acter of the inflorescence of some species. 
I 5* Agave Palmeri, n. sfi.: acaulis ; foliis lanceolatis sursum 
attenuatis in spinam gracilem teretem ultra medium canalicula- 
tam excurrentibus, margine aculeis insequalibus ssepius reeurvis 
flexuosisve atro fuscis dentato ; florum albidorum pedicellis brae- 
teis abbreviate carnosis fultis; ovario perigonio agquali seu paulo 
longiore, tubo lobis vix longiore stamina longe-exserta medio vel 
paulo supra gerente ; capsula gracili prismatica brevi-cuspidata 
in stipitem contracta, seminibus minoribus minute verruculosis. 
In the mountains of Southern Arizona Dr. Schott collected the 
flowers in 1855 ; in 1869, Dr. E. Palmer, who during ten years 
has made Arizona and the adjacent regions the field of his explo¬ 
rations, and for whose services to botany' in that district this 
species is named, gathered more complete specimens and seeds; 
and last year, 1874, Dr. Rothrock, of Lieut. Wheeler’s expedi¬ 
tion, brought very fine specimens found there at an altitude of 
6,300 feet.—-FI. July and August. 
This species seems to take in the southern part of Arizona the 
place of A. Parryi of the northern part of that territory, and is 
used there for the same purpose ; it is easily distinguished from 
it by its longer and narrower leaves, the much less deeply divided 
perigon, and the slender capsule and small seeds.—Leaves 10-20 
inches long, 2-2 \ wide, slightly contracted above the base, long 
pointed; terminal spine 8-14 lines long, deeply channelled to 
above the middle, decurrent with brown, horny margins about 2 
inches; lateral teeth i-f. inch apart,-ri-2 lines long, often inter¬ 
spersed with smaller ones, straight, or usually hooked, or often, 
especially the lower ones, flexuous. Scape 8-12 feet high (bracts 
not noticed by the collectors) ; branches of the panicle repeatedly 
and loosely ramified, ultimate pedicels crowded, about 1 line long. 
Flowers if-2 inches long; perigon 10-12 lines long, whitish ; 
filaments, anthers, and style, purple ; lobes usually a little shorter 
than the tube, exterior ones strongly cucullate and much thick- 
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