(i6) 



California, at San Diego, it is said, and is now largely culti- 

 vated in southern California. On one of the columns near 

 the olive is a fine plant of Bougainvillaea, a native of Brazil; 

 the bracts which surround the small flowers are bright ma- 

 genta colored; when in full bloom the plant makes a gorgeous 

 show. On one of the trellises back of the group of the 

 amaryllis family is a plant of the yellow jessamine {Gelsem- 

 ium sempervirens) of the south; it sends out its pretty flowers 

 usually in February, and they persist for several weeks. 

 In this house may also be found a number of palms. Among 

 these may be mentioned the characteristic fan-palm of the 

 California desert {Neowashingtonia robusta), and the pal- 

 metto (Sabal Palmetto) , of our southern States. A few 

 temperate tree-ferns are also placed here. 



House No. 14. The general arrangement of this house was 

 mentioned when describing house No. 12. Entering from 

 house No. 15, to the left may be found plants of the rosemary; 

 this enjoys a reputation of long standing, for it was held in 

 high esteem by the ancient Greeks and Romans, being re- 

 garded by them as the emblem of fidelity. A little further to 

 the left is the parachute flower (Ceropegia Sandersoni) , from 

 Natal. On the right are many interesting members of the 

 thistle family. On the other side of the house may be found 

 Aucuba japonica, from Japan, and Corokia Cotoneaster, 

 from New Zealand, both members of the dogwood family, 

 but not much resembling our common flowering dogwood. 

 Other plants of interest may also be found here. 



House No. 15. The orchid family, to which this house 

 is devoted, is a widely distributed one, occurring in all 

 tropical regions, but finding its greatest development in the 

 Old World in India and the Malayan region, while in the 

 New World its greatest numbers occur in Brazil and other 

 parts of northern South America. In temperate regions rela- 

 tively few species are found, while in very cold countries they 

 are entirely absent. Most of the tropical forms are epiphytes, 

 that is, they grow upon trees and usually have bulb-like or 

 thickened stems and fleshy leaves for the conservation of 



