Refugium Botanicum.} [September, 1869. 
TAB. 163. 
Natural Order AMARYLLIDACER. 
Tribe AGAVE. 
Genus AGAVE, Linn. 
A. ELEMEETIANA (Jacobi, Hamb. Gart. Zeit. xxi. p. 457). Afgre cau- 
lescens; foliis 20—25 dense rosulatis modice crasso-carnosis bi- 
pedalibus lanceolato-spathulatis quadruplo longioribus quam latis 
cuspide molli munitis marginibus omnino integris utrinque glauco- 
viridibus extrorsum applanatis, deorsum dorso convexis, scapo (spica 
inclusa) 14-pedali, bracteis floribus clausis breviter pedunculatis 
eequantibus, perianthii segmentis oblongo-spathulatis pallide flavo- 
viridibus tubo brevioribus, staminibus basi segmentis insertis 
corolla tota longioribus. 
A native of Mexico. 
Not caulescent or only very slightly so. Leaves twenty to 
twenty-five in a dense rosette, moderately firm in texture, lanceo- 
late-spathulate, rather over two feet long when fully developed 
by six inches broad in the middle, the central ones ascending, 
the lower ones horizontal, the point acute but not rigid, the 
colour a uniform pale glaucous-green, the edge continuous in 
substance with the rest and not at all toothed or filiferous, the 
lower half slightly spathulately narrowed, the base clasping the 
stem to a breadth of four inches, the upper half nearly flat on 
the back, the lower becoming decidedly convex. Scape with the 
spike fourteen feet high, the spike ten to eleven feet long by 
seven to eight inches thick if the stamens are included in the 
measurement. bracts equalling the flowers, linear-setaceous, 
dilated just above the base, those of the barren part of the 
Scape copious and squarrose. Pedicels robust, a quarter of an 
inch long. Corolla sixteen to eighteen lines long, the oblong- 
spathulate pale yellowish green lobes decidedly shorter than the 
clavato-cylindrical green tube. Stamens two inches long, inserted 
at the base of the lobes. 
Tab. 163.—1, complete plant, much reduced ; 2, leaf, reduced ; 3, pair 
of flowers with bract, natural size. 4, separate pwn cut open; 5, hori- 
zontal section of ovary: both magnified. —J.G. B. 

I am indebted to the Royal Horticultural Society for this fine, 
distinct and interesting species of Agave. I received it from 
