90 



is curious in its imitation of the stems of some of the horsetails, 

 Eguisetum, hence its specific name. The so-called carnivorous 

 plants, the American pitcher plants, Sarracenia, and the sun- 

 dews, Drosera, are on exhibition on this bench, excepting for a 

 few months during the winter when they are in a state of rest and 

 are located at the propagating houses. The flowers of Sarracenia 

 are very odd and appear from March to June or July. The 

 pitchers contain a fluid in which insects are drowned, the mat- 

 ter resulting from their decay being absorbed by the pitchers. 

 These pitchers form a part of the leaves, and are a modification 

 of the petiole, the blade of the leaf being represented by the 

 small portion which terminates the pitcher and sometimes over- 

 hangs it as a hood. The sundews secrete a sticky substance 

 from the glands which cover the surface of the leaves, and this 

 fluid is also said to digest insects which adhere to the leaves. 



On the west side of the central bench are the members of the 

 pea family, Papilionaceae, represented by such plants as thegorse, 

 UlexEuropaeus, the tarn furze, U. nanus, and the Australian Chor- 

 izema varium, with its flowers made up of an odd combination 

 of colors. In the mimosa family near by are a number of spe- 

 cies of Acacia, some with true leaves, the midrib being furnished 

 with many small leaflets, and others with the leaves modified 

 into what are called phyllodia, the leaflets being entirely suppressed. 



On the east side of the central bench, at the end near house no. 

 13, is a group of the rue family, Rutaceae. To this belong, 



small specimens are present, larger ones being placed in house 



of southern Africa. Its leaves are full of glands which secrete 

 an oil exhaling a disagreeable odor. 



On the east bench near house no. 1 1 are the orchids which 



regions in the tropics, or are found in the warmer parts of the tem- 

 perate zone. A group of the crested orchid, from the Himalayan 

 region, occupies the corner. This is Coelogyne cristata, and it is 

 one of the daintiest of a family rich in beautiful things. It flowers 

 in February or March. On account of the shape of the pseudo- 



