Botanical Magazine 106 - 1880.pdf - hibiscus.org

DESCE. Acaulescent. Leaves thirty or forty in a dense
rosette, ensiform, about a foot long, two inches broad, rigid
in texture, flat and bright green on the face, duller green
on the back, the point armed with a large pungent spine,
the edges margined with a continuous distinct persistent
grey horny border, which is furnished with numerous irre-
gular large falcate brown horny prickles. Peduncle three
or four times as long as the leaves, furnished with abundant
subulate squarrose empty bracts. Spike cylindrical, about
as long as the peduncle, seven or eight inches in diameter
when the flowers are fully expanded ; flowers arranged in
pairs, each flower with a distinct pedicel, and each pair with
a short peduncle and small linear bract. Ovary green,
cylindrical-trigonous, under an inch long; tube funnel-
shaped, a quarter of an inch long ; segments oblong, green
tinged with claret-purple, as long as the ovary. Stamens
inserted at the throat of the perianth-tube ; filaments claret-
purple, two inches long ; anthers linear-oblong, half an inch
long. Style finally as long as the filaments, but not till
after the anthers have withered.•J. G. Baiter.
Fig. 1, View of plant•much reduced ; 2 and 3, portions of leaves; 3, flowers;
i, section of flower :•all of the natural size.