(i8 7 ) 



the brook, may be found the bed devoted to the wood-sorrel 

 family, often called sour-grass by children; several species 

 are shown. Just to the left of the geranium family is 

 the flax family, to which belongs the flax plant (Linum), 

 from the fiber contained in the stem of which linen is made. 

 Beyond this is the bed for the rue family; to this belong 

 the common rue, of southern Europe, and the fraxinella; 

 this family also includes the oranges and lemons, specimens 

 of which may be found at conservatory range 2, and a very 

 great number of tropical trees and shrubs, located at 

 conservatory range I, houses 3 and 4. The spurge family 

 is in a bed just to the left of the flax family; the flowering 

 spurge, from the eastern United States, and the cypress 

 spurge, from Europe, but sometimes found wild in this 

 country as an escaped plant, are both here. Along the 

 edge of the brook, and opposite the spurge family, may be 

 seen the water-starwort family, to which belong a number 

 of small aquatic plants. About opposite this, and at the 

 base of the rocky ridge to the right, is a representative 

 of the box family, a Japanese relative, the terminal 

 pachysandra; the true box (Buxus) is a shrub or small 

 tree, native of Europe, and several races of it may be 

 found at the fruticetum. A little to the right of the wood- 

 sorrel family is the jewel-weed family, to which belong the 

 common balsam of the gardens, and the plant so common 

 along our brooks and other wet places, and known as 

 jewel-weed, or touch-me-not. A little beyond this are 

 three beds of the mallow family; the hollyhocks belong 

 here, as do the mallows; the crimson-eye mallow and the 

 swamp-rose mallow, both from North Americaj are showy 

 representatives of this family; and the marsh mallow, a 

 native of Europe and the Orient, is also shown; its root 

 is used in the manufacture of a mucilage and for medicinal 

 purposes. 



To the right of the mallows is the bed given over to the 

 St. John's-wort family. The rock-rose family comes next, 

 a little farther on; here belong the rock-roses of Europe and 



