(i8i) 



spiderwort family, we have represented mainly the spider- 

 worts and day-flowers. In a small pool and along its 

 eastern edge is placed the pickerel-weed family. Here 

 may be found a large clump of the pickerel-weed (Ponte- 

 derid) which is common in swamps and along streams in 

 the vicinity of New York; here may also be found the 

 water-hyacinth, which has become such a pest in some of 

 the rivers of Florida and the West Indies, and the closely 

 related blue water-hyacinth, of more straggling habit, also 

 of tropical origin, planted out in summer; neither of these 

 is hardy; they may be found at all times at conservatory 

 range I, house 9. 



The rush family occurs next in the sequence, represented, 

 among others, by such familiar plants as the common bog- 

 rush, the slender rush, and the common wood-rush. Fol- 

 lowing this come the members of the bunch-flower family, 

 with several species of bellworts, the turkey-beard, the 

 Japanese toad-lily, the fly poison, and others. Closely 

 related to this is the lily family; one of the beds given 

 over to this family is devoted to the true lilies (Lilium) in 

 several forms; another is set aside for the onions and their 

 relatives, of which there are many interesting forms, some 

 of them of decorative value; while another bed is given to a 

 miscellaneous collection of plants belonging to this family, 

 among which may be mentioned the day, or plantain, lilies, 

 the yellow day lilies and the lemon lilies, the true asphodel 

 or king's sword, the grape-hyacinth and Adam's needle. 

 Other close relatives of the lilies belong to the lily-of-the- 

 valley family; here may be founcKmany familiar plants, 

 'among them being the lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria), 

 the wild spikenard, the common asparagus, of such wide 

 use as a vegetable in the early part of the summer, and 

 several species of the Solomon's-seal. 



The amaryllis family is shown by a number oi species of 

 daffodils and narcissus. In the iris family, which comes 

 next, many species are represented. Most familiar among 

 these are: the common blue flag of our swamps, the yellow 



