( 182 ) 
flag of Europe, the fleur-de-lis, the Siberian iris, the Japa- 
nese iris and the blackberry lily. For the canna family 
reference is made to the plantations at the Garden foun- 
tain at the approach to the museum building, to the large 
collection of different kinds at the Horticultural Garden, 
and to house 11 of conservatory range I; cannas are not 
hardy and must be removed to a warm place for the winter. 
For orchids, the most highly developed of the endogenous 
plants, reference is made to conservatory range 2, houses 2 
and 6B. 
Crossing the brook now by the path paralleling the drive- 
way, we come to the beginning of the sequence of the large 
series of plants with net-veined leaves and with two seed- 
leaves (dicotyledons). This series begins with the lizard’s- 
tail family, represented here in the brook by the lizard’s-tail 
(Saururus), a common plant of our brooks and river borders 
in the eastern United States. To the nettle family one bed 
is at present given, located near a group of magnolia trees, 
where may be found, among other kinds: the slender nettle, 
of North America; the stinging nettle, native in Europe and 
Asia, but introduced into this country; and the wood nettle, 
also a North American plant; all of these secrete an oil 
through the hairs covering the stem and leaves, this oil 
being irritating to the skin, especially in the stinging nettle. 
In the immediate neighborhood and to the right is the birth- 
wort family, represented by several species of wild ginger 
(Asarum), among them the common one of this region, the 
short-lobed wild ginger, the root of which is of medicinal 
value. To the buckwheat family there are at present 
devoted three beds, forming a group to the left of the 
nettle family. The docks (Rumex) are shown in many 
forms, as are the knotweeds (Polygonum) and related 
genera; the most showy of these are the Japanese and 
Sakhalin knotweeds; the latter, a plant of considerable 
economic importance, being used as a fodder plant, is a 
native of the Sakhalin Island; to this family also belong 
thubarb, or pie-plant, and buckwheat. Next to this 
