NAMES, HISTORIES, AND CLASSIFICATION. 257 



Cupuliferae, the Oak family, numbers 400 species and 10 gen- 

 era. It gives us the oaks, about 300 in the world and 44 in the 

 United States ; chestnuts, beeches, hazels, and filberts, birches, 

 alder, hornbeam, and ironwood. The United States has 2 

 chestnuts, 1 beech, about 8 birches, and 6 alders. 



Orchidaceae, the Orchid family, includes some 5000 singular 

 herbs, distributed through 334 genera. Many of the species are 

 epiphytes, that is, growing above ground on other plants. The 

 species are the most specialized, perhaps, of any order, and they 

 are usually uncommon or rare. A number of showy species 

 grow in the United States, the best known of which are the lady- 

 slippers. Our species usually inhabit bogs or deep woods. 



Iridacese, the Iris family, comprises many showy garden 

 plants; as, iris, gladiolus, sparaxis, tritonia or montbretia, 

 babiana, ixia, crocus, tigridia, and the like. The family in- 

 cludes about 60 genera and 700 species. 



The Amaryllis family, Amaryllidacese, includes many lily-like 

 plants, such as nerine or guernsey lily, vallota, narcissus, galan- 

 thus, leucoium, hippeastrum, crinum, agave, polianthes or 

 tuberose, eucharis, etc. About 700 species and 64 genera are 

 included in the family. 



Over 2000 species, in 187 genera, comprise Liliacese, or the 

 Lily family. Some of the species are tree-like. Here belong 

 the onion, asparagus, tulip, aloes, yuccas, hellebore, and many 

 choice ornamental plants. Of lilies, there are about 50 species, 

 tulips in the neighborhood of 50, and of hyacinths about 30. 



The Palm family, Palmse, includes 1100 or more species and 

 132 genera. Many species produce edible fruits, the best known 

 in our markets being the date and the cocoanut. 



The GramineaB or Grass- family is the most important order of 

 plants to the agriculturist. Besides all the grasses, it furnishes 

 all the cereal grains, including Indian corn and the sugar-cane. 

 Genera about 300 ; species more than 3000. 



The Pine or Spruce family is known as the Conif erae, or cone- 

 bearing family. It includes plants of very dissimilar kinds. 

 Most of the species have needle-like and evergreen leaves, but 

 some are deciduous, and the gingko has broad and flat leaves. 



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