EXPLANATION OF PLATE IL 



Fig. 1. Yucca aloifolia. (Family of the Liliacea.) Adam's Needle. A tree of 

 ten or twelve feet in height, indigenous in the West Indies. Stype cylindric, evect, 

 sometimes two or three-forked. Leaves terminal, alternate, crowded, semi-amplexi- 

 caulis. ensiform ; the upper ones erect, the lower ones pendent, the intermediate, 

 spreading or retlexed. Panicle simple, terminal, pyramidal. Flowers pendent. Peri- 

 anth simple, six-sepalled, campanulate. This plant belongs to Hexandria Monogynia. 

 It is the majestic lily of the tropics. The name Yucca is from Jucca, the Indian ap- 

 pellation. 



Fig. 2, Saccharum officinale. (Family of the Grasses.) Sugar-cane. An her- 

 baceous, perennial plant, which grows to the height of ten or twelve feet. Culm is 

 vertical, cylindrical, solid. Leaves sheathing, elongated, ensiform. Panicle larg>, 

 silkj'. The name JSaccharum is from the Arabic, soukar, sugar. This plant is thought 

 to be a native of India, but it is now cultivated in most warm countries. With most of 

 the grass-like plants, it belongs to Triandria Digynia. 



Fig. 3. Ferula tingitatia. (Family of the UmhellifercB-) Giant-fennel. Herba- 

 ceous plant, biennial, 8 or 9 feet in height. Stem cylindrical, vertical. Leaves alter- 

 nate, large, decompound, with very small leafets. Petioles with a large base, amplex- 

 icaulis. Panicle tenninal, composed of umbels. This jilant grows in Spain and Bar- 

 bary ; it belongs to Pentandria Digynia, where the umbelliferous tribe is mostly classed. 

 A species of this genus. Ferula assafoetida, produces from its root the medicinal gum, 

 assafoetida ; from another species, the galbanum is obtained. 



Fig. 4. CvMBiDiUM ec/jiHOcar;?on. (Family of the Orc/arfe^.) A parasitic plant of 

 South America, wliich grows to the height of two or three feet. Stems compressed. 

 Leaves opposite, oval, acute. Capsule bristly. '1 his plant belongs to Gynandria Mo- 

 nandria. A species C* pulchellum (grass-pink) is very common in our region. 



* It may be proper to inform the student, thnt wliere several species of a genus are mentioned. It ia 

 very common to designate the name of the genus by tlie initial letter ; thus C. stands for Cymbidium' 



