MONOCOTYLEDONES 329 



became very prominent in the treatment of blood diseases abont 

 the middle of the sixteenth century, but its value was overesti- 

 mated and it is no longer considered- of much importance. 



Among the most important ornamentals are the many species 

 and varieties of lilies, tulips, hyacinths, trilliums and lilies of 

 the valley. 



Amaeyllidace.k. — Herbs, mostly bulbous ; llowers perfect, 

 regular, three-merous and lily-like; fruit a three-chambered, 

 many-seeded capsule ; leaves linear. This family includes many 

 interesting flowering plants, such as the l^arcissus. Daffodil, 

 Snowdrop, star grass and the American Agave or Century Plant. 



The genus Alae includes many tropical and semi-tropical, old 

 world species, some of which are cultivated in America. They 

 furnish an important drug and some species are also valuable 

 for fiber. The American Aloe (Agave a/inericana L. ) was culti- 

 vated in Mexico long before the coming of the white man. It 

 is grown for its fiber and also for the making of pulque, a very 

 strong alcoholic liquor. 



lEiDACEiE. — Herbs ; flowers regular or irregular, perfect, 

 solitary or in a terminal spike or corymb or loose panicle, three- 

 merous; ovary inferior; fruit a three^angled, three-chambered, 

 many-seeded capsule ; leaves linear, two-ranked, equitant. 



The most conspicuous member of this family is the " flower- 

 de-luce " or iris, which is gro^vn extensively for ornamental pur- 

 poses. Another well-known species is the crocus {Crocus sa- 

 tivus), which is grown extensively as an ornamental and for 

 saffron, which is used tO' color and flavor confectionery and as 

 a commercial dye. 



Oechidace.i;. — Herbs; perennial, sometimes tuberous; 

 sometimes epiphytic; flowers irregular, perfect, six-merous; 

 ovary one-chambered, three-parietal placentae ; ovules numerous ; 

 stamens one^ or two-gynandrous ; pollen in a more or less sticky 

 mass. Friiit a onei-chambered, three-valved capsule ; seeds very 

 small and numerous; leaves alternate and parallel-veined. 



This family contains more than 7000 species which are mostly 



