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family, to which belongs the genus Basella- here represented. 

 The pokeweed family is represented by the common poke 

 or garget {Phytolacca), native of the eastern part of North 

 America, a plant of medicinal value and poisonous, but 

 its young shoots when first appearing above the ground 

 are sometimes used as "greens." In the carpetweed family 

 are the carpetweed, from which the family derives its 

 name, a native of the United States and Mexico, but a 

 common weed in this vicinity; and representatives of the 

 south African fig-marigolds (Mesembryanthemum), many 

 of them very showy; they are not hardy in this latitude and 

 must be planted out every spring. In the purslane family, 

 among others, may be found the sunplant or common 

 portulaca of the gardens, a native of South America; the 

 small-flowered talinum, from the central United States; 

 and the common purslane or pusly, a pernicious weed in 

 many sections of the country, and often used for "greens" 

 or as a salad. 



Then comes the chickweed family, with sandworts, 

 chickweeds and related plants. The pink family follows, 

 where many kinds of pinks, catchflies, and gypsophils 

 may be found. In the first pool, formed by the widening 

 of the brook, is the water-lily family; the large yellow pond 

 lily or spatterdock, a native of eastern North America, 

 may be seen here, as may also its relative, the red-disked 

 pond lily, from northeastern North America; the sweet- 

 scented water-lily, and its variety, the pink, or Cape Cod, 

 water-lily, also find a place here; the water-shield or water- 

 target is also a member of this family and a native of North 

 America. The tanks in the court of the public conserva- 

 tories contain a great many additional kinds. The horn- 

 wort family likewise occupies a position in this pool. The 

 aquatic members of the crowfoot family are grown here, 

 the terrestrial forms being placed in four beds to the west- 

 ward; one of these beds is given up entirely to the peonies 

 (Paeonia), of which there are a number of interesting and 

 handsome forms, and in the other beds may be found lark- 



