IN EXTKA-TROPICAL COtJNTKIES. 133 



food — a remark which applies to many other as yet disregarded 

 liliaceous plants. 



roBniculum officinale, Allioni. 



The Fennel. Mediterranean regions, particularly on lime- 

 stone soil. A perennial or biennial herb, of which two primary 

 varieties occur, the so-called sweet variety having fruits 

 almost twice as large as the other. The herb and fruits are in 

 use as condiments and the latter also for medicine. The fruits 

 are rich in essential oU, containing much anethol. 



Pourcroya Cutensis, Haworth. 



West India and continental tropical America. A smaller spe- 

 cies than the following, but equally utilised for fibre and 

 impenetrable hedges. F. flavo-viridis (Hooker), from Mexico, 

 is still smaller, 



Pourcroya gigantea, Ventenat. 



Central America. With species of Yucca, Agave, Dracsena, 

 Cordyline, Phormium, Doryanthes, and this and a few other 

 Fourcroyas, we have gigantic liliaceous plants available indus- 

 trially for fibre. Frost injures the leaves of this species. 

 Development of flower stalk extremely rapid, up to 30-feet 

 high. Fibre often 3 feet long and of considerable tenacity. 

 The fibre produced in Mauritius by Messrs. Bourgignon and 

 Fronchet proved stronger than hemp and resisted decay in 

 water. 



Fourcroya longSBva, Karw. and Zucc. 



High mountains of Guatemala and Mexico, at an elevation of 

 about 10,000 feet. One of the most gigantic and magnificent 

 of all liliaceous or amaryllideous plants, in volumen only sur- 

 passed by Dracsena Draco, the Dragon Tree of the Canary 

 Islands. This is the only known high-stemmed species, the 

 trunk attaining a height of 50 feet, and huge panicle of 

 flowers 40 feet more. It dies, like many allied plants, after 

 flowering. The species is recorded here as a fibre-plant^ but 

 should also be cultivated for its ornamental grandeur, 



Pragaria Chiloensis, Aiton. 



In various of the colder parts both of North and South 

 America. Chili Strawberry. 



Pragaria collina, Ehrhart. 



In various parts of Europe. Hill Strawberry. 



