342 NATURAL HISTORY. 



taste acrid, sweetish, and bitter. Used medicinally in 

 pulmonary and other complaints. O- 



The Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis), flower (peri- 

 anth) funnel-form, half six-cleft; color blue or pink, 

 standing in dense thyrsoid racemes. Leaves rather long 

 and partly folded together. This splendid plant was 

 brought originally from the East ; at the present time 

 much cultivated everywhere, but particularly in Holland. 

 Propagated by bulbs. Q. 



The Agave or Aloe (Aloe vulgaris), leaves lanceolate, 

 spiny, dendate, and fleshy, often curling at the point ; 

 the root cylindrical and ligneous (woody) ; flowers green- 

 ish-yellow, bloom in clusters ; the leaves afford a bitter 

 juice, which is obtained, partly by boiling them, and 

 partly by making incisions into their fleshy structures. 

 This sap exposed to the sun hardens into a resinous gum, 

 extremely bitter, which is used in medicine. Native of 

 the torrid region of Africa, but transplanted into West 

 Indies. The best sort of aloes is brought from Barba- 

 does. 12. 



The Tulip (Tulipa gesneriana). Scape (flower-stem) 

 one-flowered ; flower large, erect, mostly red, but some- 

 times variegated ; leaves ovate, -lanceolate. Originally 

 from Lesser Asia, now cultivated everywhere in Europe 

 and America as an ornamental garden plant ; in some 

 places in Germany found growing wild. There are many 

 varieties. 2 . 



The White Lily (Lilium candidum) has a thick stem 

 or stalk clothed with numerous short, alternate scattered 

 leaves ; radical leaves lanceolate, narrowed at base ; flow- 

 ers snow-white and very fragrant, have long been regarded 

 as the emblems of innocence and purity. Native of 



