(i9i) 



common jimson, or Jamestown, weed, the seeds of which 

 are poisonous, a native of tropical regions, but a common 

 weed along our roadsides; the nightshade, a European 

 plant, but commonly distributed as an introduction in 

 many parts of this country, also with poisonous fruit; 

 tobacco plants and solanums; it is to this family that the 

 potato, tomato and egg-plant belong, plants of which will 

 be found at the economic garden. A little beyond and 

 to the left of the mints are the two beds allotted to the 

 figwort family; of interest here are: the beard-tongues, of 

 which there are several species; the speedwells {Veronica), 

 among them the long-leaved speedwell and the gentian 

 speedwell; the fox-gloves {Digitalis), from one of which, 

 the purple fox-glove, the valuable medicine digitalin is 

 derived; Lyon's snake-head from the southern states; 

 culver's-root, from the southeastern United States; and 

 several figworts. Just beyond this may be found the 

 unicorn-plant family, represented by the unicorn-plant. 

 A little beyond is the globularia family, with a single 

 species of globularia. To the right is the acanthus family; 

 not many of these plants are hardy in this latitude, but 

 in house 2 at conservatory range I many representatives 

 may be found, as the family is largely confined to tropical 

 and warm temperate areas; in this bed may be seen the 

 hairy ruellia, from the southeastern United States. In this 

 neighborhood may also be seen the lopseed family, repre- 

 sented by the lopseed, a native of eastern North America. 



To the right of the acanthus family is the single bed de- 

 voted to the plantain family; several species, such as Ru- 

 gel's plantain and rib-grass, are pernicious weeds in this 

 neighborhood, often disfiguring an otherwise even lawn. 

 Just beyond the mints may be found the two beds of the 

 madder family; to this belongs the dainty little bluets or 

 innocence, which sometimes give a blue sheen to sterile, 

 sandy places, so abundant is it in some localities; it is quite 

 common in eastern North America; several species of 

 bedstraw {Galium) may also be found here, while many 



