Aechmea disticantha Lem.

jflchmea disticliantha, Lem., Jard. Fleur., t. 269.
Asuncion (741); Pilcomayo River (1556). February-May.
Leaves 15-20, like those of no. 341 in a large rosette, about 4-5
dm. long and 3-5 cm. broad, armed with sharp, carved, black spines
on the margins and a large straight spine at the apex. Flowers in
a dense oblong-panicle 10-18 cm. long, on a bright red peduncle
3-9 dm. high, the 3 sepals red and the 3 petals bright blue, longer
than the sepals. The peduncle is beset with leaves passing upwards
into foliaceous bracts. Fruit a dry, indehiscent, 3-celled berry, con-
taining many small seeds in each cell. This plant occurs abundantly
on porphyritic ledges 2 miles east of Asuncion, and also on the
banks of the Pilcomayo River. Though it is neither epiphytic
nor parasitic, yet it often grows high up on the trunks and limbs
of trees. Like the Bromelia and JEchmea already npted, the leaves
of this species furnish excellent material for' textile fabrics and cord-
age. They show, however, none of the scarlet tii^t by which the
leaves of the former are made so conspicuous.
NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
PLANTS OK SOUTH AMERICA
Collected by Thos. Morong, 1888-1890.
/ . /?	Central Paraguay.
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03851915