MONOCOTTLEDONES. 175 



Many species are cultivated. Several species of Srailax 

 {Smilax officinalis, etc.) of South America furnish sarsa- 

 parilla root. The Squill {Seilla maritima) comes from the 

 sandy regions of the Mediterranean ; its sliced bulbs form 

 the dry squill. The Lily of the Valley (^Convallaria 

 majalis) is a native of Europe and Asia. The Crown 

 Imperial {Fritillaria imperialis) of Europe and Asia, and 

 the Day-Lilies (HemerocaUis flava, and H. falva) of 

 Europe, are coarse, ornamental plants. The Hyacinth 

 {Hyadnihus orientalis), a native of Asia Minor, was intro- 

 duced into England before the end of the sixteenth 

 century; and under cultivation, has developed many 

 varieties. Of the true Lilies (lAliurn), the following are 

 most common in cultivation : The Orange Lily (L. hul- 

 biferum), Tiger Lily (L. tigrinun), the Turban Lily {L. 

 Pomponium), the Golden Lily (i. auratum), the White 

 Lily {L. candiduni). A deli- 

 cate climber in conservatories, 

 called Smilax (Myrsiphyllum 

 asparagoides), is from the 

 Cape of Good Hope. The 

 Star-of- Bethlehem {Omitho- 

 galum umbellatum) from 

 Europe, the Tube Rose (Poli- 

 anihes iuberosa) from the East 

 Indies, are also common in 

 cultivation. The Tulip (Tu- ^ 

 lipa Gesneriana), whose spe- 

 cific name was given in honor 



of the botanist Conrad Gesner, who was the first to 

 ^escribe and figure it (in 1559), was brought into Europe 



Fig. 290. A culiivated species of Yucca. 



