XXil Introduction. 
Japonica, Anemone Japonica, Lilium auratum, and several other 
species; Funckia, Aspidistra, and Bocconia make up a list of 
attractive plants. South Africa contributes a large number 
of bulbous plants, belonging chiefly to the Iridew, Liliacez, 
and Amaryllidee. The magnificent hybrid Gladioli in cul- 
tivation are the offspring of South African species. Kni- 
phofia aloides (Tritoma uvaria) and Agapanthus umbellatus 
are two valuable plants from the same country. South America 
furnishes very few beyond those already mentioned ; but we 
must not forget to mention the noble Pampas Grass (Gynerium 
argenteum). India is also poorly represented in our gardens, 
though many of the mountain plants are quite hardy. 
The geography of the tender species employed for summer 
bedding does not come within our province, but nearly all of 
them are mentioned or described, and their native countries 
given in the body of the work. 
Artificial Key to the Natural Orders and Anomalous 
Genera.—The following Key is intended to assist in ascertain- 
ing the order to which a plant belongs. It should be ob- 
served, however, that some acquaintance with the rudiments of 
Descriptive Botany is necessary to enable a person to use it 
profitably. And it should also be borne in mind that there are 
many plants deficient in one or more of the characters upon 
which the groups or classes to which they are referred are 
founded. In such cases the general characters and structure 
of a species decide its position in a natural arrangement of 
plants. Of course there are differences of opinion in regard 
to these matters, as some botanists attach greater importance 
than others to the presence or absence of certain organs. In 
fact, some orders, as the Juglandacee and Loranthacez, are 
placed in different divisions by different writers. As an ex- 
ample of the apparently arbitrary grouping of plants, we may 
refer to the apetalous genera of the Ranunculacez: Clematis, 
Ancmone, Caltha, Helleborus, ete. Orders possessing genera 
wanting in any of the main characters of their division are 
included in the key under two or more divisions. This key is 
based upon that given in Lindley’s ‘ Vegetable Kingdom,’ and 
modified according to the scope of the present work, with the 
addition of habit, duration, etc., of the species. 
