Refugium Botanicum.] [ September, 1869. 
TAB. 164. 
Natural Order AMARYLLIDACE. 
Tribe AGAVE. 
Genus Acaveg, Linn. 
A. FILAMENTOSA (Salmdyck, Bonpland. vii. p. 94). Acaulis, foliis nume- 
rosis dense rosulatis sesquipedalibus strictis lineari-ensiformibus 
rigide mucronatis margine longe fibrillosis, supra planiusculis, dorso 
rotundatis, scapo (spica inclusé) 10—12 pedali, bracteis floribus 
clausis breviter pedunculatis equantibus, periantho supra ger- 
minem longe gamophyllo, segmentis lanceolatis reflexis tubo toto 
triplo brevioribus, staminibus basi segmentorum insertis corolla 
tota brevioribus.—Jacobi, Agav. p. 36. 
A native of Mexico ? 
Not at all caulescent. Zeaves in a dense many-ranked basal 
rosette, sixteen to eighteen inches long, fifteen lines broad half-way 
up, linear-ensiform, flat on the upper surface, rounded on the back, 
Spreading out into a broad rounded dilatation at the base, slightly 
narrowed below the middle, narrowed gradually from the middle 
upwards to a sharp reddish-brown pungent point, rigid in tex- 
ture, both surfaces dull green, the upper leaves nearly erect, the 
lowest horizontal, the edge with colourless fibres separating from 
it which attain a length of six or seven inches. Scape including 
the spike ten to twelve feet high, the barren and fertile parts 
about equal, the bract-like leaves of the barren part seven to 
eight inches long. Spzke five to six feet long, six to seven inches 
in thickness including the stamens. Bracts purplish red, about 
equalling the closed flowers. Pedicels very short and _ thick. 
Corolla eighteen to twenty-one lines long, constricted above the 
green ovary and united for a considerable space above it, the 
purplish lanceolate lobes reaching about a quarter of the way 
down and reflexed when the flower is expanded. Stamens con- 
siderably shorter than the corolla, inserted just below the base of 
the lobes. 
Tab. 164.—1, rosette of leaves before flowering; 2, complete plant : 
both much reduced. 3, apex of leaf; 4, flowers with bract: both natural 
size. 5, horizontal section of ovary, magnified.—J. G. B. 

This is an interesting species, running into several varieties, 
distinguished by the length of the leaf and the character of the 
