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range I, the orchids in houses 12 and 15, the members of 

 the pine-apple family in house 10, and the cycads in house I. 



In house No. 1, the easterly compartment of this trans- 

 verse portion, the collection of sago palms or cycads has 

 has been installed. This family of plants is represented by 

 large specimens of Cycas revoluta, from Japan; by Cycas 

 circinalis, from the Molucca Islands; by a single plant of 

 the rare Stangeria eriopus, from southern Africa, where it is 

 known as the kaffir's-head; by a number of specimens of 

 the genus Zamia, including the small Florida coonties; 

 and by the Kaffir-bread (Encephalartos), two species, 

 from Africa; the stems and trunks of plants of this family 

 contain much starch, which is extracted, in the countries 

 in which they grow, by crushing and washing, and pass 

 into commerce under the name of sago starch. Other 

 specimens are in the south end of the middle one of the 

 smaller houses. 



In houses 2 and 3 are the tropical tree-ferns and the 

 larger specimens of the low ferns and fern-allies. 



The graceful tree-ferns mostly inhabit the mountains of 

 the tropics, commonly at an elevation of 1500 feet or more. 

 Many of the plants here have been secured by Garden expe- 

 ditions to different parts of the American tropics. Another 

 feature of interest is the collection of staghorn-ferns, hang- 

 ing over the walk in the center house; the application of the 

 common name staghorn is quite evident in several of the 

 species. Suspended from the roof in baskets are many 

 desirable ferns. A fern from China and Tartary, known as 

 the Scythian Lamb (Cibotium Barometz), may be found 

 here; it is of interest as forming the basis of a marvellous 

 tale, current in early times, to the effect that on a vast 

 plain to the eastward of the Volga occurred a wonderful 

 plant, looking like a lamb; this animal, so the story ran, 

 was supported upon a stalk and as soon as it had exhausted 

 the vegetation at hand died from starvation. 



In house 4 is a collection of exogenous tropical plants. 

 These are arranged in botanical sequence, the families 



