(8) 



Nopalea coccinellifera upon which the cochineal insect breeds; 

 it is from these insects that the dye cochineal is obtained. 



On the remaining side bench is the stone-crop family, 

 represented by many interesting and beautiful forms. The 

 echeverias from Mexico and Central America, and the sem- 

 pervivums, or house-leeks, from the Old World, are con- 

 spicuous among these. Many of the stone-crops are hardy 

 plants and a collection of these may be found at the herba- 

 ceous grounds. Only a few cactuses are hardy. A large 

 number of the specimens belonging in this house and the next 

 may be found during the summer in beds in the conservatory 

 court. 



House No. 6. This is also a desert house. On the two 

 corner benches to the right, as one enters from No. 5, is a 

 collection of century plants {Agave), a large genus known 

 only from the New World; other and larger plants of this 

 same genus may be found in the central portion of the house. 

 Conspicuous among these are : the thread-bearing agave, 

 Queen Victoria's agave, the sisal plant {Agave sisalana) ; and 

 the common century plant {Agave amerlcana) . The first 

 two are decorative and curious; horn A gave sisalana is manu- 

 factured the sisal hemp of commerce ; the last, Agave amerl- 

 cana, is well known, and it is from the sap of related species 

 that the Mexican drink "pulque" is obtained by fermenta- 

 tion. It is popularly believed that the century plants flower 

 but once in a hundred years, and then die; it is true that the 

 plant dies when done blooming, but it blooms at a much 

 earlier age than a century, sometimes when but eight or ten 

 years old, it is said. A curious desert plant among the cen- 

 tury plants on the side bench is called by the natives of 

 Mexico, its native country, " huariqui " {Ibervillea sonorae) ; 

 during the rainy season green stems arise from these large 

 woody plant-bodies, which at other times remain in a resting 

 condition. 



A group of the lily family may be found in the central 

 portion of this house. This comprises members of the genera 

 Aloe, Yucca and Dasylirion. A group of cacti may also be 



