Plate 297. 
PITCAIRNIA TABULJEPORMIS. 
Horticultural tastes vary: some can only see beauty or de¬ 
sirable objects in flowering plants; others consider the beauti¬ 
ful foliage which many display to be superior even to flowers; 
graceful forms are attractive to another class (the lovers of 
ferns being oftentimes our greatest enthusiasts), while curious 
and strange forms have their devotees amongst others. For 
the latter class we have figured a remarkable plant, which has 
been exhibited lately by Mr. Win. Bull, and has obtained first- 
class certificates. 
The Bromeliads, to which this plant belongs, contain many 
curious forms, and we observe that in order to encourage their 
growth a prize was offered at the June Show of the Royal 
Horticultural Society, by Major Trevor Clarke. In the collec¬ 
tion which obtained the first prize, exhibited by Mr. Williams, of 
Holloway, were two kinds of HecJitia , variegated Pine Apple, 
Jugmannia grandis , Ni did aria Meyendorjii , Pity a recurvata , and 
other curious plants, so that it is probable this class may be 
much more sought after than heretofore, nothing giving a 
greater stimulus than the offering of such special prizes. 
Pitcairnia tabidceformis was first sent to Europe by M. Ghies- 
breght, the indefatigable collector of M. Ambroise Yerschaffelt, 
of Ghent; it was obtained by him at Chiapas, Mexico, and is 
very unlike any other Pitcairnia known; the leaves are regu¬ 
larly produced one above the other, and so closely as to retain 
an almost flat appearance, even when the plant is of large 
size; before flowering it has more the appearance of a Semper- 
vivum; the tuft of flowers is produced in the centre of the 
plant, and as in the case of many of the genus, is comparatively 
