185 ) 
the south bench; many species yield a tough and valuable 
fiber from the leaves; they are commonly referred to as 
bowstring-hemp. The collection of screw-pines, Pandanus, 
occupies a large part of the south bench, the larger speci- 
mens being on the center bench opposite, and in the 
adjoining house 4. 
The tacca family, Taccaceae, is here represented in two 
genera, Tacca cristata and Schizocapsa plantaginea, both 
on the north side of the center bench. This family is 
closely related to the amaryllis family. 
The arrow-root family is illustrated by the arrow-root 
(Maranta arundinacea), native of South America, but 
widely cultivated in the West Indies, its roots furnishing 
the commercial product; Calathea comprises a large number 
of tropical American plants noteworthy for their fine 
foliage; and there are other genera represented. 
House No. 4. Here are brought together many kinds of 
large tropical plants belonging to families also represented 
in the smaller houses, but too tall to be grown on the 
benches. 
The interesting screw-pines, natives of the Old World 
tropics, are illustrated by several species, the leaves of 
which are used in the manufacture of mats, hats and 
baskets. These plants are not at all related to pine trees, 
the latter part of the name referring to the slight resem- 
blance the leaves bear to those of pineapple plants, which 
are commonly called pines in the tropics, while the remain- 
der of the name was suggested by the spiral arrangement 
of the leaves. 
In this house may be found large specimens of the aroid 
family, the most noteworthy one of these being a magnifi- 
cent plant of Veitch’s tail-flower (Anthurium Veitchi1), 
from Colombia, which is believed to be the most elegant 
plant of its kind in cultivation; climbing on trunks of trees 
set as supports, will be found a number of vines of the 
genera Philodendron and Monstera, one of these, Monstera 
deliciosa, is a Mexican plant producing an edible fruit 
