Some Families of Angiosperms 



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Fig. 334. Flowers of amaryllis. 



plants, is the amaryllis family. They are characteristic of 

 dry climates and many have leaves only during the rains. 



Here belong the amaryllis, narcissus, and tuberose. In the 

 American desert the agaves are widely distributed, and some of 

 the species are important sources of fibers for binder twine and 

 other coarse cordage. Seventy-five genera and 700 species are 

 known, mostly from the tropics and sub tropics. 



The pineapple family {Bromeliaceae) . Found only in the 

 American tropics is the pineapple family, with 40 genera and 1000 

 species. Some of the species, like the pineapple, are terrestrial 

 plants, but most are epiphytes and form a characteristic feature 

 of the jungle growths from southern Florida and Mexico to south- 

 ern Brazil. Many of the epiphytes have rosettes of leaves with 

 the bases pressed tightly together, forming water pockets from 

 which the plants secure most of their water. The " Spanish 

 moss " is very different and consists of festoons of leafy branches 



