270 



DESCRIPTIVE BOTANY. 



History. — The home of the pineapple is tropical America. It is related 

 that the Spaniards found it in Peru and took it to the West Indies, whence it 

 was carried by the Portuguese to the East Indies. About the middle of the 

 seventeenth century it was taken to Holland by Mr. Le Count, a Dutch mer- 

 chant, who cultivated it under glass at his country seat near Leyden. It was 

 thence carried to England, where it was successfully fruited under what is 

 known in England as stove culture. 



Use. — The pineapple is a most fragrant fruit, and is used for a dessert. 

 It is also preserved in sugar and in brandy, and forms an important article of 

 commerce, both raw and preserved. At Nassau, about two million cans are 

 filled annually and sent to the United States. 



Propagation. — The pineapple is propagated by suckers or by the tuft from 

 the top of the fruit. 



Marts. — New York is the great mart for this fruit ; but it is now carried 

 to Europe, in a crude state, by the fast steamers. It is matured in England 

 under glass, and is sold for ten times more than the imported article. 



Order LVII. IRIDACE-^. 



Flowers perfect, regular or irregular, terminal in a spike, corymb, or 

 loose panicle, or solitary, each with 2 spathe-like bracts. Inflorescence 

 with a double subfoliaceous bract. Perianth superior, petaloid, tubu- 

 lar, 6-parted, regular or bilabiate ; segments in two series, equal, or 

 the inner whorl smaller, dissimilar, usually falling early. Stamens 



3 ; filaments equal, free ; anthers 

 extrorse. Oyary inferior, 3-celled, 

 usually many-ovuled. Stigmas 3, 

 opposite the stamens, or alternate, 

 often dilated or petaloid. Capsule 

 3-cornered or lobed, 3-celled. Seeds 

 numerous, subglobose or com- 

 pressed, sometimes winged ; testa 

 membranous or papery, sometimes 

 leathery or fleshy. Leaves usually 

 radical, equitant, ensiform or linear, 

 angular, entire, flat or longitudi- 

 nally folded, those on the stem 

 alternate, sheathing. Perennial 

 herbs, with tuberous or bulbous 

 rhizome. 

 No. of genera, 57 ; species, 700 ; warm parts of both hemispheres. 



Crocus sativus (Saffron). 



CHOCUS, L. Flowers nearly sessile, among leaves, tube long and 

 slender, the limb bell-shaped, divided into 6 nearly equal segments. 

 Stigmas dilated, and colored at the top, often fringed ; capsule buried 

 among the radical leaves. Rootstock bulbous, coating fibrous and 

 netted. 



C. sativus, L. (Saffron.) Scape 1 to 3 inches high. Leaves radical, 

 linear ; margins revolute, with white furrow above. Elower-tube long, white, 



