America, receives its common name from the queer pouch-like 

 sheathes from which the flowers arise. 



In the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, there are specimens of 

 several species of the genus Costus. Cos/us igneus, a popular 

 member of the genus from Brazil, is ornamental in its large deep 

 orange-colored flowers. Kaempferia rotunda, of tropical Asia, 

 sends up, early in the year, on very short stalks a succession of 

 fragrant lavender flowers, which are followed later by large erect 

 ornamental leaves, so that it has two desirable decorative features. 



The arrow-root family, Marantaceae, is largely shown in the 

 genera Maranta and Calathca. Maranta arundinacea, from the 

 roots of which the arrow-root of commerce is obtained, is a native 

 of South America, but is widely distributed elsewhere ; it is repre- 

 sented by several specimens in the collection. The genus Cala- 

 thca, comprising over one hundred species in tropical America, 

 furnishes many excellent foliage plants. Among these may be 

 mentioned : C. sebrina, the zebra plant, C. picta and C. vaginalis, 

 all from Brazil; C. Legrdleana, from Colombia and Ecuador; 

 C. Veitchiana, from Peru ; and C. omata, from British Guiana, 

 which in a young state has the leaves prettily marked with red 



appearing in the mature plants. Another ornamental plant of 

 this family is Stromanthe sanguinea, from Brazil, the bright red 

 bracts of the inflorescence making it highly desirable. 

 The genus Heliconia represents the banana family, Mu< 



*itht 



: H. c, 



of the Solomon Islands, and perhaps not a true Heliconia; 

 and H. illustris rubricaidis, reported to come from the Pacific 

 Islands. 



the following : Dracaena Godseffiana, with its spotted leaves and 

 shrubby habit, from the Congo ; Dracaena Goldieana, from west 

 tropical Africa, in which the leaves are barred ; Dracaena Aubry- 



Am'erica ; and Dracaena Draco, the famous dragon-tree, of the 

 Canary Islands. An account of this last species and of D. amcr- 

 icana, with an illustration of the latter, will be found in the Journal 



