74 Gardening in Egypt. 



and would impart a bold tropical appearance to an 

 otherwise barren piece of desert. 



Agave. Natives chiefly of tropical America. 

 These plants comprise many handsome specimens, 

 with thick, fibrous leaves ; but unlike the Aloes or 

 Yuccas they rarely form a stem. The plant usually 

 dies after flowering, which occurs about the fifteenth 

 year, previous to which a large number of suckers, 

 spring from the roots, and by this means the plant 

 is easily propagated 



The Agave, which belongs to the Amaryllis family, 

 is distinguished from the Aloe by having the stamens 

 of its flower below the ovary, while the latter plant, 

 which belongs to the Lily family (Liliacece), and is 

 a native of the Cape, has its stamens above the 

 ovary. This difference of an inferior, or a superior 

 ovary is the distinguishing character between the 

 Amaryllidece and the Liliacece. 



Amongst the representatives grown in the gardens 

 here, are : A . A mericana, A . glauca, A . Verchaffelti^ A . 

 filifera, A. vivipara, Fourcroya gigantea, &c. All are pro- 

 pagated by suckers, and some are valuable fibre plants. 



Aloes Sabbarah. Succulent plants, with thick 

 fleshy leaves, similar in form to the Agave, but 

 without fibre. Many of the species yield a bitter juice 

 which forms a valuable purgative, and is one of the drugs 

 that might be cultivated commercially in this country. 



Aloe vera. This plant is grown on the graves of 

 the Arabs, and is also hung up over the doors of 

 their houses as an emblem of immortality. It is an 

 erect variety, with spiney leaves of a glaucous 

 green colour, and sometimes of a reddish-brown on the 

 under-surface. It is not often cultivated in the gardens. 



Aloe frutescens. A nice bushy plant, suitable for 

 pot culture or for growing in dry windy places. It 

 is sometimes used for hedges. Other varieties of an 

 ornamental character, such as A. attenuata, A. indica, A. 

 nigricans^ and A. variegata might also be introduced. 



