THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
consequent succession of organs. Youth is always inter- 
esting, babyhood even fascinating to the roughest of man- 
kind. It is hence with pecuhar gentleness that we handle 
these infantive buds. From them may issue the sinuate 
leaf of the oak, the lobed or jagged blade of the maple or 
the little fingers of the horse-chestnut, held out in blessing. 
BOTANY FOR BEGINNERS— XXIV. 
Order 8— Liuales. 
T X tracing the development of the monocotyledons from 
their simplest forms it is rare that we find flowers with 
all their parts so clearly distinguished that the ordinary 
observer can recognize them until we reach the Liliales. 
There are, to be sure, indications of what is to come, for 
down in the scale, as may be instanced by the arrowheads 
among the Xaidales, but for the most part the flowers are 
too little like ordinary flowers to be individually distin- 
guished. Often, indeed, as in the grass family, the flowers 
are so inconspicuous that they may pass unnoticed, but with 
the advent of the lilies and their allies we find large, distinct 
and brightly colored flowers in abundance. 
There are nearly five thousand species in the lily alli- 
ance arranged in from six to nine families according to the 
tastes of the botanist who does the arranging. Of these 
families the bunch-flowers (Melanthaces) and blood-worts 
( Haemodoraceje) are small and not especially conspicuous. 
The smilaxes (Smilaceae) are easily distinguished by their 
climbing stems and net- veined leaves. The lily-of-the- valley 
family i Convallariaceie) was formerly placed among the 
true lilies, but has been separated from the rest because of its 
berry-like fruits. The yams (Dioscoreace^) are closely re- 
