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Ta b . 6441.<br />

ÆCHMEA mar i æ -re g i n æ .<br />

Native of Costa Rica.<br />

Nat. Ord. br o m e l i a c e æ.—Tribe an a n a s s e æ .<br />

Genus æc h m e a , R. & P.; (Baker in Trimen Journ. 1879, p. 129).<br />

æch m e a (Chevalliera) Mariæ-reginæ; acaul<strong>is</strong>, foli<strong>is</strong> basalibus 15–20 dense rosulat<strong>is</strong><br />

lorato-lanceolat<strong>is</strong> acut<strong>is</strong> basi dilatat<strong>is</strong> subcoriace<strong>is</strong> 2–3-pedalibus<br />

utrinque prasertim ad faciem inferiorem tenuiter lepidot<strong>is</strong> spin<strong>is</strong> marginalibus<br />

parv<strong>is</strong> crebr<strong>is</strong> patul<strong>is</strong> instruct<strong>is</strong>, pedunculo valido stricto subpedali<br />

albo-tomentoso bracte<strong>is</strong> pluribus lanceolat<strong>is</strong> reflex<strong>is</strong> spinoso-dentat<strong>is</strong><br />

splendide coccine<strong>is</strong> prædito, floribus in spicam oblongam densam aggregat<strong>is</strong>,<br />

bracte<strong>is</strong> floralibus minut<strong>is</strong> lanceolat<strong>is</strong> membranace<strong>is</strong>, ovario oblongo<br />

albo-lepidoto, sepal<strong>is</strong> æquilong<strong>is</strong> et lat<strong>is</strong> obliqu<strong>is</strong> valde imbricat<strong>is</strong> conspicue<br />

cuspidat<strong>is</strong>, petal<strong>is</strong> lingulat<strong>is</strong> sepal<strong>is</strong> duplo longioribus primum cærule<strong>is</strong> demum<br />

rubr<strong>is</strong> basi d<strong>is</strong>tincte b<strong>is</strong>quamat<strong>is</strong>, genitalibus inclus<strong>is</strong>.<br />

Æ. Mariæ-reginæ, H. Wendl. in Hamb. Gartenzeit vol. xix. (1863), p. 32; Regel,<br />

Gartenfl. vol. xiii. (1864), p. 152; Baker, in Trimen Journ, 1879,p. 162.<br />

<strong>Th<strong>is</strong></strong> <strong>is</strong> botanically a near neighbour of Æchmea (Chevalliera)<br />

Veitchii, figured in the boT a n i c a l ma g a z i n e , tab. 6329.<br />

The leaves and spikes of the two plants are similar, but here<br />

the flower-bracts are reduced to a minimum, and the most<br />

effective part of the plant <strong>is</strong> the large bright red reflexing<br />

bract-leaves of the general peduncle. The present plant <strong>is</strong><br />

a native of Costa Rica, where it <strong>is</strong> used at the feast of Corpus<br />

Chr<strong>is</strong>ti for the decoration of the altars in the churches.<br />

Its local name <strong>is</strong> “Flor de Santa Maria,” from which the<br />

scientific name has been taken. It has been in cultivation<br />

in Europe for nearly twenty years, but only flowers rarely.<br />

Our plate was drawn from a specimen that flowered with<br />

Messrs. B. S. Williams and Co., at Holloway, in April of th<strong>is</strong><br />

present year.<br />

des c r . Leaves fifteen to twenty in a sessile utricular rosette,<br />

lorate-lanceolate, two or three feet long, three or<br />

four inches broad at the dilated clasping base, two or three<br />

inches in the middle, subcoriaceous in texture, thinly white<br />

a u g u s T 1s T , 1879.

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