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YUCCA acuminata.
Tapering-flowered Adam’s Needle.
Natural Order. T u l ip a c eæ . K th . synops. I. p . 292.
YU C C A . Supra fol. 53.
Y. acuminata, caule erecto suffruticoso, foliis lanceolatis integerrimis
marginatis glabris rigidis .supra concavis, floribus
paniculatis, bracteis lineari-lanceolatis acuminatis pedicellis
longioribus, perianthii foliolis lanceolato-ellipticis acuminatis.
Stem s h o r t a n d th i c k , f r u t e s c e n t ; in th e s p e c im e n s
th a t w e h a v e s e e n s c a r c e ly a fo o t in h e ig h t . Leaves n u m
e r o u s , r ig id , s t r a ig h t , la n c e o la t e , c o n c a v e , q u it e en t
ir e , a n d sm o o th a t th e e d g e s , t e rm in a t e d in a lo n g
h r o w n sh a r p s p in e , u n d e r n e a th c o n v e x , m o r e o r l e s s
a t t e n u a t e d t o w a r d s t h e h a s e , a n d t a p e r in g a t th e p o in t ,
o f a p a lis h g r e e n , w i t h a h r o w n m a r g in ; lo w e r o n e s
s p r e a d in g ; u p p e r o n e s e r e c t , a n d im h r ic a te . Flower-
stern hetAveen 3 a n d 4 f e e t lo n g , a n g u la r , a n d s tr ia te ,
a lt e r n a t e ly h r a n c h e d : h r a n c h e s a c u t e ly a n g u la r , sp r e a d in
g . Flowers s o lita r y , a lt e r n a te , n o d d in g , n o t in p a ir s ,
a s in s om e s p e c ie s . Bractes2, n a r r o w ly la n c e o la t e , a n d
t a p e r -p o in t e d , h r o w n , a n d d e c id u o u s , o n e o f th em lo n g
e r th a n th e p e d i c l e , th e o th e r s c a r c e ly th e le n g t h . Pedicles
n o d d in g . Perianthium d e e p ly 6 -p a r t e d , th e le a f l
e t s la n c e o la t e , o r n a r r o w ly e l l ip t i c , ta p e r in g t o a lo n g
s le n d e r p o in t , s t r ia t e d w ith n um e r o u s fa in t l in e s , o f a
g r e e n is h Avhite, t in g e d w ith b r ow n ish p u r p le , th e p o in t s
cu r v e d in w a r d s : in n e r o n e s b r o a d e s t . Stamens 6 , in s e r t ed
in th e b a s e o f th e p e r ia n th ium : roughly p u b
e s c e n t , th i c k e n in g u p w a r d s , th e p o in t s b e n t o u tw a r d s ;