(156 ) 
young shoots are sometimes used as a vegetable. Closely 
related to this, and just south of it, is the amaranth family, 
represented by several species of the pigweed, many of them 
among the commonest weeds of our roadsides and waste 
places. Forming a series to the right of this are: the four- 
o’clock, pokeweed, carpetweed, and purslane families. Inthe 
four-o’clock family will be found the common four-o’clock of 
our gardens, a native of tropical America, its flowers open- 
ing only on cloudy days or late in the afternoon on clear 
days, whence its name; and the umbrellaworts, from North 
America. The pokeweed family is represented by the com- 
mon poke or garget (Phytolacca), native of the eastern part 
of North America, a plant of medicinal value and poisonous, 
but its young shoots when first appearing above the ground 
are sometimes used as ‘‘ greens.” In the carpetweed family 
are the carpetweed, from which the family derives its name, a 
native of the United States and Mexico, but a common weed 
in this vicinity; and representatives of the south African fig- 
marigolds (Mesembryanthemum), many of them very showy ; 
they are not hardy in this latitude and must be planted out 
every spring. In the purslane family, among others, will be 
found the sunplant or common portulaca of the gardens, a 
native of South America; the small-flowered talinum, from the 
central United States; and the common purslane or pusly, a 
pernicious weed in many sections of the country, and often 
used for ‘*‘ greens” or as a salad. 
The pink family follows, with three beds. Many kinds of 
pinks, catchflies, chickweeds, and gypsophils will be found 
here. In the first pool, formed by the widening of the brook, 
is the water-lily family ; the large yellow pond lily or spatter- 
dock, a native of eastern North America, will be found here, 
as will also its relative, the red-disked pond lily, from north- 
eastern North America; the small white water-lily, a native of 
northwestern North America and Asia, the European water- 
lily, from Europe and Siberia, and the sweet-scented water- 
lily, and its variety, the pink, or Cape Cod, water-lily, also 
find a place here; the water-shield or water-target is also a 
