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rush, the slender rush, and the common wood-rush. Fol- 
lowing this come the members of the bunch-flower family, 
with several species of bellworts, the turkey-beard, the 
Japanese toad-lily, the fly poison, and others. Closely 
related to this is the lily family; one of the beds given 
over to this family is devoted to the true lilies (Lilium) in 
several forms; another is set aside for the onions and their 
relatives, of which there are many interesting forms, some 
of them of decorative value; while another bed is given to a 
miscellaneous collection of plants belonging to this family, 
among which may be mentioned the day or plantain lilies, 
the yellow day lilies and the lemon lilies, the true asphodel 
or king’s sword, the grape-hyacinth and Adam’s needle. 
Other close relatives of the lilies belong to the lily-of-the- 
valley family; here may be found many familiar plants, 
among them being the lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria), 
the wild spikenard, the common asparagus, of such wide 
use as a vegetable in the early part of the summer, and 
several species of the Solomon’s-seal, both from the Old 
World and the New. 
The amaryllis family is shown by a number of species of 
daffodils and narcissus. In the iris family, which comes 
next, many species are represented. Most familiar among 
these are: the common blue flag of our swamps, the yellow 
flag of Europe, the German iris, the Siberian iris, the 
Japanese iris and the blackberry lily. For the canna 
family reference is made to the plantations at the Garden 
fountain at the approach to the museum building and to 
the conservatories, and for orchids to the conservatories. 
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, 
