xxii Introduction. 



Japonica, Anemone Japonica, Lilium auratum, and several other 

 species ; Funckia, Aspidistra, and Bocconia make up a list of 

 attractive plants. South Africa contributes a large number 

 of bulbous plants, belonging chiefly to the Iridese, Liliacese, 

 and Amaryllidese. The magnificent hybrid Gladioli in cul- 

 tivation are the offspring of South African species. Kni- 

 phofia aloides (Tritoma uvaria) and Agapanthus umbellatus 

 are two valuable plants from the same country. South America 

 furnishes very few beyond those already mentioned ; but we 

 must not forget to mention the noble Pampas Grass (Gynerium 

 argenteum). India is also poorly represented in our gardens, 

 though many of the mountain plants are quite hardy. 



The geography of the tender species employed for summer 

 bedding does not come within our province, but nearly all of 

 them are mentioned or described, and their native countries 

 given in the body of the work. 



Artificial Key to tlie Natural Orders and Anomalous 

 Genera. The following Key is intended to assist in ascertain- 

 ing the order to which a plant belongs. It should be ob- 

 served, however, that some acquaintance with the rudiments of 

 Descriptive Botany is necessary to enable a person to use it 

 profitably. And it should also be borne in mind that there are 

 many plants deficient in one or more of the characters upon 

 which the groups or classes to which they are referred are 

 founded. In such cases the general characters and structure 

 of a species decide its position in a natural arrangement of 

 plants. Of course there are differences of opinion in regard 

 to these matters, as some botanists attach greater importance 

 than others to the presence or absence of certain organs. In 

 fact, some orders, as the Juglandaceae and Loranthaceae, are 

 placed in different divisions by different writers. As an ex- 

 ample of the apparently arbitrary grouping of plants, we may 

 refer to the apetalous genera of the Ranunculacese : Clematis,- 

 Anemone, Caltha, Helleborus, etc. Orders possessing genera 

 wanting in any of the main characters of their division are 

 included in the key under two or more divisions. This key is 

 based upon that given in Lindley's ' Vegetable Kingdom,' and 

 modified according to the scope of the present work, with the 

 addition of habit, duration, etc., of the species. 



