FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS. 55 
Family Haemodoraceae. Bloodwort Family. A small group 
consisting of 9 genera and 35 species, all tropical except the redroot, 
Gyrotheca capitata, a plant of the southern pine barrens. They are 
erect herbs with roots yielding a red juice, and small clustered flowers, 
the perianth 6-parted. The fruit is capsular. These plants possess 
interest only for the botanist, and aside from the coloring matter 
sometimes derived from their roots, they have no economic or orna- 
mental value. 
Family Amayllidaceae, Amaryllis Family. A large group of 
mostly herbaceous and usually extremely showy-flowering plants, 
many representative genera of which are well known in garden cul- 
tivation. There are about 70 genera and 800 species, widely dis- 
tributed in warm regions. The plants are, as stated, usually herba- 
ceous, but Agave and related genera have woody or even arborescent 
trunks. The flowers are nearly regular, the perianth divisions similar 
and colored alike; the stamens are 6; the ovary is 3-celled, and either 
wholly or partly inferior. The root is often bulbous. Only about 
half a dozen gencra occur in the United States, and these are repre- 
sented by very few species; among them is the little yellow star grass 
(Hypoxis) and the beautiful 
Atamasco lily (Atwmosco) of 
Virginia and southward. 
Among familiar garden 
Amaryllids is Narcissus, 
with innumerable horticul- 
tural varieties; the snow- 
drop (Galanthus nivalis) 
the snuwflake (Leucojum ver- 
num) and various species of 
Hippeastrum, Sprekelia, 
Vallota, Awaryllis and At- 
amosco, all of which are sold 
under the composite name 
of Amaryllis. The well- 
known century plant illus- 
trates the genus Agave, 
which is very abundantly 
Fic. 47.-Young century plants (Agave sisalana) 
developing on the flowering stalk of the parent. Af- represented throughout Mex- 
ter Dodge, Rept. No. 9, U. S. Dept. of Agric. ico, It is not, of course, 
