MONOCOTYLEDONES 329 



became very prominent in the treatment of blood diseases about 

 the middle of the sixteenth century, but its value was overesti- 

 mated and it is no longer considered of much importance. 



Among the most important ornamentals are the many species 

 and varieties of lilies, tulips, hyacinths, trilliums and lilies of 

 the valley. 



AMARYLLIDACE.K. Herbs, mostly bulbous ; flowers perfect, 

 regular, three-merous and lily-like; fruit a three-chambered, 

 many-seeded capsule ; leaves linear. This family includes many 

 interesting flowering plants, such as the Narcissus, Daffodil, 

 Snowdrop, star grass and the American Agave or Century Plant. 



The genus Aloe includes many tropical and semi-tropical, old 

 world species, some of which are cultivated in America. They 

 furnish an important drug and some species are also valuable 

 for fiber. The American Aloe (Agave americana L. ) was culti- 

 vated in Mexico long before the coming of the white man. It 

 is grown for its fiber and also for the making of pulque, a very 

 strong alcoholic liquor. 



IBIDACE^E. Herbs; flowers regular or irregular, perfect, 

 solitary or in a terminal spike or corymb or loose panicle, three- 

 merous; ovary inferior; fruit a three-angled, three-chambered, 

 many-seeded capsule ; leaves linear, two-ranked, equitant. 



The most conspicuous member of this family is the " flower- 

 de-luce " or iris, which is grown extensively for ornamental pur- 

 poses. Another well-known species is the crocus (Crocus sa- 

 tivus), which is grown extensively as an ornamental and for 

 saffron, which is used to color and flavor confectionery and as 

 a commercial dye. 



OKCHIDACE.B. Herbs; perennial, sometimes tuberous; 

 sometimes epiphytic; flowers irregular, perfect, six-merous; 

 ovary one-chambered, three-parietal placenta? ; ovules numerous ; 

 stamens one- or two-gynandrous ; pollen in a more or less sticky 

 mass. Fruit a one>-chambered, threer-valved capsule ; seeds very 

 small and numerous; leaves alternate and parallel-veined. 



This family contains more than 7000 species which are mostly 



