(5) 



showing that they reached 6$ feet in 

 height in 95 days, a rate of about 8 inches a day. The plant 

 has been introduced into the West Indies, and in places 

 where it grows its stems are put to a great variety of uses in 

 construction, for water pipes and for various utensils. 



House No. 2 also contains specimens of the palm family, 

 the smaller specimens of tropical species being exhibited here. 



House No. 3 contains specimens illustrating several fami- 

 lies of monocotyledonous plants of tropical regions. The 

 amaryllis family is represented by a number of species of 

 the spider lily {Hymenocallis) , bearing large white flowers, 

 the commonest being Hymenocallis caribaea from the sandy 

 coasts of southern Florida and the West Indies ; large plants 

 of the genus Crinum, some of which have white flowers and 

 some red or purple, may be seen on the middle bench, and 

 the maguey of the West Indies (a spiny-leaved relative of 

 the century plant, native of the West Indies, and used there 

 for hedges) , on the northern bench ; this name maguey is also 

 applied in parts of the West Indies to species of Agave, which 

 will be found in house No. 6. 



Numerous representatives of the lily family, especially of 

 the genus Dracaena, may be found on the south bench, and 

 these are much used for ornamental planting in the tropics ; 

 here also are plants of the genus Sansevieria, the bow-string 

 hemps of Africa ; a valuable tough fiber is derived from their 

 leaves; larger plants of the lily family may be found in the 

 adjoining house No. 4, a portion of this house being given 

 over to tall dracaenas and their relatives. 



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 com- 

 mercial 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. 



