458 



BOTANY. 



climates. The leaves and stems are woven into matting and chair 

 bottoms, and the pith is used for the wicks of candles (rush-lights). 



Order LiliaceaB. The Lily Family. Perennial, mostly herbaceous 

 plants, with entire leaves, and generally showy flowers. The species, 

 of which there are about two thousand, are distributed in all climates. 

 Some of these are valuable as food, others furnish useful medicines, 

 while many are among our finest ornamental plants. 



The more important food plants are the following : 



Attium Cepa, the Onion, a native probably of the Mediterranean re- 

 gion, is grown throughout the world. 



Alllum Porrum, the Leek, A. satwum, Garlic, A. ascalonicum, 



FIGS. 345-8. ILLUSTRATIONS or FRITILLARIA. 



FIG. 345. 

 Fig 345. Section of flower. 

 Fig. 34. Flower diagram. 

 Fig. 347. Section of ovary. 

 Fig. 348.-Ovule. 



Shallot, and a few other species, all natives of the Old World, are con- 

 siderably used. 



Asparagus officinali*, Asparagus, is a native of the Atlantic and 

 Mediterranean coasts of Europe, and of the sandy plains of Central and 

 Western Asia. It has been cultivated in England for upwards of two 

 thousand years, but it is an interesting fact that in all that time it has 

 exhibited very little variation. 



Among the medicinal plants may be mentioned 



Aloe vulgaris, of the Mediterranean region, and other species in 



