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The amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, is represented by a 

 number of species of the spider lilies, Hymawcallis, such as H. 

 expansa, H. speciosa, and H. caribea. All the species of this 

 genus are confined to America. The genus Criuum, a cosmo- 

 politan one, has representatives in the following large and showy 

 species : C. augitstum, with masses of large claret-colored flowers, 

 a native of Mauritius, but widely cultivated in the West Indies ; C. 



southern states, ranging from Georgia and Florida to Louisiana 

 and Texas, and known as the swamp lily. The genus Furcraea 



on account of its commercial value, is F. foctida. It is widely 

 distributed in the tropics of both the Old World and the New. 

 In Porto Rico it is known as maguey, but is not the same as 

 the plant of that name found in Mexico. It is sometimes 

 known as Furcraea gigantea. A fiber is derived from its leaves. 

 Another interesting plant of the same genus is F. aibensis, with 

 much broader toothed leaves. This is widely spread through 

 the West Indies. Several plants of both these species will be 

 found on the north side bench. 



The curious tacca family, Taccaceae, is represented in two 

 genera, each by a single species ; Tacca cristata and Scltizocapsa 

 plantaginca, the former a native of the East Indies, the latter of 

 China. The long slender drooping organs arising from the flower 

 cluster are said to be bracts. 



The spiderwort family, Commelinaceae, has an interesting 

 representative in a dracaena-like plant which was offered to the 

 American public some years ago by a nurseryman, under the 

 name of Tradescantia dracaenafolia. Upon investigation it proved 

 to be an old Mexican plant, described many years ago by Lindley 

 as Spironema fragrans. It is not particularly showy, but the 

 individual flowers are a pure white and quite dainty and exhale a 

 delicious fragrance. A showy plant is Dichorisandra thyrsiflora, 

 a native of Brazil, which bears large terminal masses of deep blue 

 flowers at certain times of the year. The pouch plant, Rhoeo 

 discolor, a native of Mexico but widely distributed in tropical 



