AECHMEA (from aichme, a point; in reference to the rigid points on the calyces, or flower-envelopes). Including Pironneaua. ORD. Bromeliaceae. Very handsome stove plants. Flowers scapose, panicled; perianth six-cleft, three outer segments sepaloid, longer than the three inner or petaloid ones. Leaves ligulate or sword-shaped, sometimes with marginal spines. The species thrive best in a well-drained compost of rich fibrous loam and leaf mould They like plenty of light, which may be afforded by standing them on inverted pots, so as to raise their heads well up above the surrounding plants. Propagation: When the flower-spikes, which are sent up from the heart or crown of the plant, die away, suckers or offsets are produced near the base, and from these other flowers appear the year after. If large plants are desired, these suckers should be left to grow and spread around; but to produce single plants, the suckers must be taken off and potted singly, in sharp soil, and then stood where they can get a moist heat till rooted. To enable them to do this it is necessary to strip off a few of the lower leaves, and trim the bottom with a sharp knife, in order that it may heal over and callus more readily than it otherwise would. When rooted, the plants may be shifted into larger-sized pots; but for single crowns 32-sized pots are large enough, as the plants, being epiphytal in their nature, do not require much soil or any great supply of water, except when growing freely or sending up their flower-spikes. In winter, they should be kept rather on the dry side, to induce partial rest. Water must not be allowed to lie in the crown of the plant. AECHMEA amazonica (Amazons). A synonym of Karatas amazonica. AECHMEA Barleei (Barlee's). fl. distichous; calyx with a globose, mealy tube; corolla pale yellow; lower bracts red, upper ones green; stem central, paniculately branched. l. eight or nine in a rosette, lorate-ensiform, green, 2ft. to 3ft. long, 2in. broad, thinly white-lepidote, prickly on the margins. British Honduras, 1883. AECHMEA brasiliensis (Brazilian). fl., calyx, bracts, and rachis scarlet; petals blue, erect, emarginate-rounded at base; panicle contracted, oblong, 5in. long, highly glabrous, the branchlets sessile, short, two to six-flowered. l. recurved-spreading, ligulate-linear, much dilated at base, rigid, channelled, the margins spiny-toothed, acuminate, 1 3/4ft. to 3ft. long. Rio Janeiro, 1885. (R. G. 1202.) AECHMEA calyculata (calycled).* fl.-bright yellow, tubular, with red bracts, borne in close roundish heads at the top of an erect scape. l. strap-shaped, with the ends having the appearance of being cut off, but armed with a sharp spine. h. 9in. Brazil, 1862. SYN. Hoplophytum calyculatum. AECHMEA coelestis (heavenly blue).* fl. sky-blue, in close pyramidal panicles, on erect scapes. Winter. l. ligulate, concave, spinyedged, scaly beneath. Brazil, 1874. SYN. Hoplophytum coeleste. AECHMEA coerulescens (bluish). fl. bluish. h. 1ft. South America, 1870. This pretty species is very attractive on account of the large dense head of deep blue and pure white berries which are produced in October. SYN. Lamprococcus coerulescens. AECHMEA Cornui (Professor Cornu's). fl., calyx and bracts carmine-red; corolla yellow; inflorescence rather shorter than the leaves; scape red, with sparse, white tomentum. l. broad, ligulate, truncate and mucronate at apex, green, spotted brown towards the base and apex, the margins toothed. Brazil, 1885. A dwarf, robust species. (R. H. 1885, p. 36.) AECHMEA discolor (two-coloured-leaved).* fl. scarlet, borne on a loose, branched panicle. June. l. broad, minutely toothed on the margin, deep green above, and rather purplish beneath. h. 2ft. Brazil, 1844. AECHMEA distichantha (two-ranked-flowered).* fl. sepals rose-coloured; petals bright purple; spikes densely clothed with bright red bracts. l. long, glaucous, linear-oblong, tapering to a sharp point, and distinctly armed with reddish brown spines. h. 1ft. South Brazil, 1852. SYN. Billbergia polystachya. AECHMEA exudans (exuding). fl. orange-coloured (exuding a white greasy substance, whence the specific name) interspersed with green bracts; scape erect, with scattered crimson lanceolate bracts, terminating in a dense head. l. oblong, spine-margined, grey-coated. h. 2ft. West Indies, 1824. SYN. Hohenbergia capitata. AECHMEA fasciata (banded).* fl. scape upright, clothed with leafy bracts of a rosy-pink colour; each of the pink blossoms in the dense conical head is subtended by a narrow, spiny-edged, similarly-coloured bract, longer than its own. l. broad, recurved, banded with white. Rio Janeiro, 1826. SYN. Billbergia fasciata. Lasts in perfection for a considerable length of time. AECHMEA fulgens (glowing).* fl. deep rich red, with a bluish tip, fifty or more in a large branching panicle; scape stout, erect, scarlet. August, September. l. somewhat sword-shaped, terminating rather abruptly. Cayenne, 1842. AECHMEA ferruginea (rusty). fl. rosy-lilac, small, glomerulate; inflorescence paniculate. l. spreading, broad, ligulate, obtuse, denticulate, bright green, irregularly spotted with dull green. 1883. A large and robust species. SYN. Hohenbergia ferruginea (R. H. 1881, p. 437). AECHMEA flexuosa (flexuous). fl. distant, sessile, erecto-patent; calyx pale pink, 1/2in. to 5/8in. long; petals bright red, lingulate, shortly protruded; panicle ovate, bipinnate, 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long, 6in. to 8in. in diameter, the lower branches 3in. to 4in. long; peduncle erect, stout, 1 1/2ft. long; bracts pale, erect. Winter. l. twenty to thirty in a dense rosette 3ft. to 4ft. in circumference, lanceolate from a dilated base, bright green, horny, 3in. broad, channelled, with scattered, whitish spots. Native country unknown. 1886. Plant acaulescent. AECHMEA Furstenbergi (Furstenberg's). fl. rose; flower spike dense, with overlapping showy pink bracts. l. tufted, linear, spinous at the edge, recurved. h. 1ft. Bahia, 1879. AECHMEA glomerata (glomerate).* fl. violet; scape erect, stout, 8in. to 10in. high, with glomerate branches of crowded blood-red bracts. l. oblong-ligulate, cuspidate, about 18in. long, dull green; margin with short wide-set spines. Bahia, 1868. SYN. Hohenbergia erythrostachys. AECHMEA hystrix (bristly).* fl. in very dense, oblong spikes; floral leaves and bracts scarlet. February. l. densely crowded, ascending, linear lanceolate, saw-toothed. h. 2 1/2ft. Cayenne, 1880. AECHMEA Lalindei (Lalinde's).* fl., calyx green, ellipsoid, pink at the tips; corolla not exserted; spike dense; bracts crimson, large, acute, reflexed; stem tall. l. 3ft. to 4ft. long, broad, concave, acute, denticulate, green. New Grenada, 1883. A handsome plant. (I. H. 481.) AECHMEA Legrelliana (Legrell's). A synonym of Portea Legrelliana. AECHMEA Lindeni (Linden's). fl. yellow, in dense terminal heads, with lanceolate red bracts, shorter than the flowers. l. linear-oblong, rounded, apiculate; margins saw-toothed; habit tufted. h. 1ft. South Brazil, 1864. AECHMEA macrantha (large-flowered). fl. yellowish, fading to black, sessile, in a small, globose head; peduncle white-woolly, shorter than the leaves, with long, narrow bracts. l. long, recurved and bent, spiny-toothed, dark, shining green above, densely white-punctate-striate beneath. Brazil, 1886. A fine Bromeliad. SYN. Macrochordium macranthum (R. G. 1886, p. 297, f. 34). AECHMEA Mariae Reginae (Queen Maria's).* fl. tipped with blue, changing to salmon colour with age, arranged compactly upon the upper portion of the spike; scape erect, about 2ft. high; half the length is clothed with large boat-shaped bracts, some 4in. long, intensely rich rose-pink. June, July. l. 18in. long, with a tufted habit. Costa Rica, 1873. This is perhaps the best species. AECHMEA Melinoni (Melinon's). fl. bright scarlet, tipped with pink, cylindric; panicle dense, terminal. l. oblong, leathery, about 18in. in length, dark green; margin spiny. South America. AECHMEA mexicana (Mexican). fl. on erecto-patent pedicels 1/4in. long; calyx green, 1/2in. long; petals bright crimson, connivent, protruding 1/3in. from the calyx; panicle oblong-cylindrical, 1ft. long, 4in. to 5in. broad, the lower branches 2in. to 3in. long; peduncle stout, 1ft. long; bracts colourless, erect. Winter. l. twenty to thirty in a dense rosette, lorate, with a deltoid-cuspidate tip, above 2ft. long, 3in. broad, the dilated base 4in. to 5in. broad, pale green, with darker green spots; prickles small, the lower ones tipped with brown. Mountains of Orizaba, 1886. AECHMEA myriophylla (many-leaved). fl. distichous; calyx bright red; corolla pink, fading to lilac; scape 1 1/2ft. high, panicled above, and, as well as the bracts, bright red. l. forming a dense rosette, narrow, channelled, attenuated, 2ft. to 2 1/2ft. long, 1in. broad, dull green, sprinkled with silvery scales on the back, the margins armed with close, brown prickles. Tropical America, 1887. (B. M. 6939.) AECHMEA Ortgiesii (Ortgies'). fl. red, on short spikes. l. numerous, channelled, recurved, spongy, broad at the base, and tapering to a point; stem short, gouty. Tropical America, 1860. SYN. Ortgiesia tillandsioides. AECHMEA paniculigera (panicled). fl. rose-coloured; petals projecting beyond the sepals, deep bright purple; panicle large, compound, 1ft. to 2ft. long; scape reddish, downy; rachides and bracts rose-coloured. l. ligulate, shortly acuminate. West Indies, 1881. AECHMEA paniculigera (panicle-bearing). fl. disposed in a large, compound panicle 1ft. to 2ft. long; sepals rose-coloured; petals deep bright purple; scape several feet high, reddish-purple, clothed with white down. West Indies, 1887. AECHMEA spectabilis (showy).* fl. rosy; calyx fleshy, ovate; corolla 1in. long, rosy crimson. l. spreading, channelled, ligulate, 2 1/2ft. long, 3in. to 4in. broad. Guatemala, 1875. AECHMEA Veitchii (Veitch's).* fl. scarlet; spike densely clothed with scarlet toothed bracts, closely investing flowers. l. tufted, leathery in texture, broadly strap-shaped, spotted, and minutely serrulate. h. 1ft. Columbia, 1877. SYN. Chevalliera Veitchii. AECHMEA Weilbachii leodiensis (Weilbach's, Liege).* fl. violet-rose, changing to dark red; bracts scarlet, mixed with violet and green; scape shorter than the leaves. l. about forty in a rosette, the basal half armed with larger and more crowded spines than in the type, the upper surface dark olive and bright green, the basal part beneath washed violet-brown and spotted blood-red. Brazil, 1887.