(13) 



and the West Indies, and some from northern South America. 

 Bananas will grow in southern Florida, but the rocky soil of 

 that region is not well adapted to their cultivation. The 

 traveler's tree, from Madagascar, is shown in several fine 

 specimens, and gets its English name from the fact that the 

 axis of each long leaf-stalk contains a grat deal of water 

 which can be tapped and drunk. The bird-of-paradise 

 plants, which take their name from their gaudy flowers, will 

 be found in this group; they are natives of southern Africa 

 and belong to the genus Strelitzia. Another genus of the 

 banana family, Heliconia, is also represented by several spe- 

 cies, called wild plantains, natives of tropical America. 



Here also may be found several species of the genus Costus 

 and of other genera of the ginger family, including the ginger 

 plant {Zingiber Zingiber) . 



House No. 12. The plants in this house, as well as those 

 in house No. 14, are mostly natives of warm-temperate re- 

 gions, and are arranged in botanical sequence, with a view to 

 furnishing a collection for the comparative study of plant 

 families and genera ; to make this as complete as possible, as 

 many representatives of families and genera are brought 

 together as space and cultural conditions permit. Cultural 

 requirements necessitate placing the ferns and their allies 

 somewhat out of their sequence position, at the south end of 

 the west side bench. The east side bench is devoted to the 

 pine family, the yew family, and to the endogenous plants, 

 the last named terminating with the orchids, next the banana 

 house. The sequence of exogenous plants begins on the west 

 side bench, as one enters from house No. 13, crosses to the 

 central bench at the ferns, and continues around that, ending 

 in this house with the loasa family, near the fern house. 

 The sequence is then continued in house No. 14, beginning 

 with the mezereon family on the north side bench, at the 

 entrance from house No. 13, continuing around the central 

 bench and ending with the thistle family on the end of the 

 south side bench near the entrance to house No. 13. 



Among the more interesting species on the west side 



