
Refuguim Botanicum.| (July, 1872. 
TAB, 327. 
Natural Order AMARYLLIDACEA. 
Genus AGAVE, Linn. 
A. micracantHa (Salmdyck, Bonpl. vii. p. 93). Breviter caulescens 
foliis 20-—-80 modice crassis coriaceo-carnosis 15—18 poll. 
longis supra medium 8—4 poll. latis: viridibus leviter glauco 
tinctis spina semiunciali terminatis facie planiusculis dorso 
conyexis dentibus parvis confertis corneis rubro-brunneis del- 
toideis ascendentibus marginatis, exterioribus leviter recur- 
vatis, scapo tripedali, spica 3—4-pedali, floribus geminatis 
confertis, perianthio extrorsum viridi 18—20 lin. longo, ovario 
oblongo, tubo anguste infundibuliformi segmentis flavidis ob- 
longo-deltoideis flore expanso reflexis equilongo, filamentis 
bipollicaribus rubescentibus, antheris magnis linearibus. 
A native of Mexico. 
Shortly caulescent. Leaves twenty to thirty im a dense rosette, 
lanceolate, fifteen to eighteen inches long, three to four inches 
broad above the middle, narrowed gradually to a brown pungent 
spine half an inch long, and downwards to an inch and a half to 
two inches above the base, about two lines thick in the middle, 
the colour a slightly glaucous-green, the face flattish in the 
middle, the back convex, the outer ones slightly recurved, the 
edge margined with copious close reddish-brown horny deltoid 
ascending teeth not more than half a line deep. Scape twice as 
long as the leaves. Inflorescence dense, subspicate, the spike 
three to four feet deep by seven to eight inches broad when fully 
expanded. Flowers in subsessile pairs, subtended by purplish 
membranous bracts with a long cusp. JPerianth eighteen to 
twenty lines long, green, passing upwards into greenish yellow ; 
ovary oblong, half an inch deep; tube narrowly funnel-shaped, as 
long as the ovary; segments half an inch long, oblong-deltoid, 
recurved when fully expanded. J laments two inches long, 
inserted low down in the tube; anthers linear, eight to nine lines 
long. Style three inches long. 
Tas. 827.—1, whole plant; 2, leaf: both much reduced. 3, apex 
of leaf; 4, two pairs of flowers: both natural size.—J. G. B. 
——e 
