t'4 HEXANDRIA. 



GENUS Bromelia. Pine Apple. Linnaeus named this ge- 

 nus after Olaus Brommel, a Swede, arid the author of several 

 works. It is one of the native productions of the New World 

 The Peruvians, among whom Europeans first found the Pine 

 Apple, called it Nanas. The French and other Europeans 

 call it Ananas, It is called Pine Apple, because the whole 

 fruit resembles the cones of the Pine tree. Of this genus 

 there are about twenty species, arid probably more than twice 

 that number of varieties. 



The Pine Apple is an evergreen herbaceous plant, the dif- 

 ferent species of which grow from one to four feet high. It 

 is chiefly cultivated in hot climates, as an article of commerce, 

 but may be grown in a green house in any temperate country. 

 Loudon says that this fruit is now cultivated very generally 

 in Britain and several places in Ireland, and at most of the 

 capital cities on the continent. In the West Indies and New 

 Providence, this plant is propagated by the seeds, but in 

 England this is chiefly done by suckers. 



GENUS Tillandsia. The name of this genus was conferred 

 by Linnaeus, in honor of Elias Tillandsius, professor of 

 physic at Abo. We have already described one species of 

 this plant, as being valuable in the West Indies, on account 

 of its leaves forming a vessel in the shape of a bottle, which 

 holds a quantity of water. Another species, T. usneoides, 

 has a stem no larger than a thread, and being a parasite, sus- 

 pends itself from trees, where it hangs down a yard or more, 

 like an old man's beard, by which name it is known in Ja- 

 maica. This curious plant grows in Louisiana, and I believe 

 in Alabama also. From the southern states it is imported to 

 this part of the country, for the purpose of stuffing saddles, 

 coach cushions, chairs, &c., and is called Moss. 



GENUS Amaryllis. This is the name of a nymph celebra- 

 ted by the poets. It is a superb genus, containing from 

 thirty to forty species. They are bulbous rooted, green house 

 plants, which vary in height from three inches to three feet. 

 Jacob's Lily, (Amaryllis formosissima,} which is of a dark red 

 color, with its petals gracefully curved, it is believed, is an 

 American species. These plants are easily propagated by the 

 shells, or scales taken from the bulbs and planted in a pot of 

 mould. 



What is the native country of the pine-apple ? Why is this fruit called 

 pine-apple? What are the uses of the Tillandsia genus? What is said 

 of the genus Amaryllis ? How is the name Polyanthus derived ? 



