84 
[ jRep. No. 564. ] 
of Agave, or of Bromelia. Under tlie Asparagus section is arranged the 
genus Yucca, of which five species are indigenous to the worst soils of the -. 
United States, from the Potomac to the Mississippi, and of which are two- 
species, now naturalized in the Northern States, especially the Yucca fila- 
mentoza, whose synonymes are Bear-grass, Silk-grass, Eves-thread, &c. 
The Phormiumtenax, or New Zealand Flax Lily, has flourished several 
years in the open air of Charleston, South Carolina, and is now notoriously 
acclimated in the south of France, but has become an important staple of 
agriculture and of manufactures for that kingdom. Although some spe¬ 
cies of this tribe afford valuable food, and others valuable medicines, yet 
the most important plants are those whose green living leaves yield valua¬ 
ble foliacious fibres, by simple scraping only, under the names of Yucca 
filamentosa, and of Phormiumtenax. I shall give a brief account of these .' 
superior substitutes for common flax and hemp. 
§ 2. Geography of the Pine-apple tribe, and general reinarks. 
All the species of this tribe are natives of the continents and islands of 
America, whence they have emigrated eastward in such numbers that 
they constitute a part of the present Flora of the old world. Since the 
sixteenth century, species of Agave have become wild throughout^Ill the 
south of Europe, the north of Afrka, and the adjacent islands j and when¬ 
ever introduced, they have nat]^r|^J|zed themselves, have propagated them-- 
' selves, and have taken possessioffef the worst soils, like actual natives. 
They are all capable; of existing a long time in dry hot air alone, without 
contact with the earth. They are all adapted to propagate themselves in 
the most arid sandy or stony soils. The name of Agave Virginia, indi¬ 
cates that one species is indigenous to the United States. Some species of 
Bromelia prefer to propagate themselves in the shade of trees, and to form 
the undergrowth of forests. Besides the delicious pine-apple, which has 
travelled from Peru to the West India Islands, and thence to the East 
Indies, several species of true Bromelia have also edible fruit. Both the 
thick and fleshy leaved Agaves, and the thin and leaved Bromelias, 
w-ith thorns or prickles on their edges or at their points, make excellent 
hedges. Species of Agave are thus used for hedges in Italy, Spain, Por¬ 
tugal, and even in Switzerland. But the most important properties of 
several species of Agave, and of Bromelia, are found in'their fibrous- 
leaves ; by simple scraping only, foliacious fibres are obtained from the 
living green leaves, Avhich are superior substitutes for common hemp and 
common flax. Under the names of Agave Sisalana, and Bromelia Pita, 
I shall give a brief account of the substitutes for hemp ahd for flax, be¬ 
ing introduced by me from the Mexican peninsula of Yucatan to the 
American peninsula of Florida. The coarse foliacious fibres of the Agave, 
are known in our markets by the names of Sisal Hemp and Grass Hemp, i 
The fine foliacious fibres of the Bromelia, are known by the English sy- - ' 
nonymes of Grass, Flax, Vegetable Silk, &c. 
§ 3. Geography of the Screw-pine tribe, and general remarks . , 
The species of this tribe are very abundant in the Mascaein islands, es¬ 
pecially in the Isle of France, where they are found covering the sandy 
plains. They have peculiar means to nourish and sustain themselves in. 
