55 



In the upper pnit of the Case is u luitivc! dress Irom VtAy- CASE 

 nesia, made of the leaves of a species oi lambda nns ov Fisy- 7'J, 

 clnetia. 



Observe double sleepin^r mat, made of the leaves of P. odora- 

 tissiinusy together v^ith a buudhi of the leaves from Madras. 

 Also sleeping mat of the same material from Kandy. 



A mat^iade of the leaves of T<h(^ Kie Kik {Fret/cinetta 

 Banksiiy A. Cunn.), from New Zealand, is also shown. 



On the walls of the staircase which Ave now ascend are 

 exhibited drawings as follows : — Spathe of Dracoiitiiim fjigaff, 

 Engel. Diagram of the genus Pandanus^ A jungle sq^u^', 

 with Pandanus and climbers in Eastern Africa. One of Prof. 

 Henslow's Botanical diagrams illustrating the Natural Orders 

 Orchideie, Iridete, and Amaryllideaj. Photograph of Amorpho- 

 phallus titanuni, Becc, which flowered in the Victoria House, 

 Kew, in 1889. '■ ' '* 



On the landing are four photographic views in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Calcutta, showing trees of Palmyra {Borassus, 

 flabelliformis, L.),Date Palms {Phopui.v dactylifera L.), &c. 



Room No. 7. 



Cyclanthus Order {Cyclanthoce(t>). A small group of CASE 

 stemless or caulescent plants, often climbing by means of ad- 73. 

 ventitious epiphytic roots. They are natives exclusively of 

 Tropical America. . . , . . ,.. j 



The most important economic plani in the ( )i(K r i ('(uludo- 

 vica palmata^ K. k P., a native of the shady, damp fuiests (jl 

 New Grenada, Ecuador, ami Peru. The leaves are. fan-shaped, 

 and are borne at the end of long, slender stalks ; thej are 

 gathered in a very young state, almost before they begin to 

 assume a green tint, and are cut into extremely narrow strips, 

 after which they are steeped successively in boiling water, then 

 in water acidulated with lemon juice, and finally in cold 

 water, and allowed to dry, when the bleaching is perfected. . Jn 

 drying the edges of the strips curl inwards, so giving it a cylin- 

 drical appearance, and making it appear solid, though at the 

 same time it is very soft and pliable. When thus prepared it is 

 known as straw, and is used for making the well-known 

 Panama Hats. These hats vary considerably in price, accord- 

 ing to the fineness of the tissue, and the care exercised ini 

 the plaiting, the cheapest being sold for about, l^. C^/., and tlie 

 very best fetching over 20/. Specimenjf of th(? .prepared leayc^ 

 are shown also. 



