On the north center bench are some of the Carrion-flowers, 
queer little foetid relatives of our Milkweeds, which grow in 
South Africa and produce strange star-fish shaped flowers of 
evil odor and sinister markings. These Stapelias are among the 
most curious of all the succulents. Higher up on the bench is the 
Crown-of-thorns, Euphorbia spteudefis , from Madagascar, hor- 
ribly spiny, but producing beautiful red flowers from its tortuous 
branches. 
On the south center bench are representatives of the Century 
Plants, Agave, a genus which has hundreds of forms in the 
American tropics and is the source of pulque and sisal, and of 
many highly ornamental plants. 
House 7 — This house, while open to the public, is not yet com- 
pletely furnished. It is planned to show a representative of each 
of the plant families arranged to show their development and re- 
lationship. A special Leaflet will be issued later. 
Coming back through House 6 into Number5, and keeping to 
the right, we pass the pool and come to the entrance of House 4. 
House 4— Not far from the door, on the east bench, is a small 
vine with leaves like an oak, Ficus quercifolia, a fig from Malaya. 
Farther north are young specimens of Malvaviscus arboreus, from 
South America, a tree relative of our native Marshmallow. Near 
the door to the next house is the sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica, 
so called from its acute reaction to shock. Even the slightest jar 
to the smallest leaflet will result in its collapse, and if the stem is 
touched, the whole plant “goes to sleep.” It will recover in ten 
or fifteen minutes. No plant, so far known, is so sensitive to touch 
as this. Near it is the Telegraph plant, Desviodium gyrans, re- 
markable for the movement of its leaflets. In warm, moist air 
they move up and down, either regularly or in jerks, not of course 
rapidly. On the same bench is a beautiful milkweed from the 
Gulf States and tropical America, Asclepias curassavica. 
On the west bench are plants of the varigated Fittcnia 
argyraea variegata from Peru, and a form of the Rose Mallow, 
Hibiscus rosa-sineiisis Cooperi. The dark red petals of these con- 
tain a juice used for blacking boots in Haiti and Santo Domingo. 
Near it is a small plant of one of the most beautiful trees of the 
Philippines, Medinella magnifica. It belongs to the same family 
as our native Meadow Beauty and bears tremendous clusters of 
scarlet showy flowers in late winter. Also on this bench is 
Erythroxylon Coca, a shrub from the Andes, which is the source 
of Cocaine and from which a popular beverage is named. 
In the center of the house is a plant of 7 ecovia stans, a native 
tree of tropical America, which bears beautiful yellow flowers not 
unlike our trumpet creeper, to which it is related. 
On the western edge of the center bench is a plant of Mountain 
Bear’s Breech, Acanthus mo7itanus, from tropical Africa. Its 
handsome spiny leaves are striking subjects for decorative effects. 
Another very showy plant is the Glory Tree (on the floor) C/no- 
dendron Thompsouae, also from Central Africa, and related to 
Verbena. Its scarlet and white flower clusters are borne in pro- 
fusion. Near it is a tub of the Fiddle-leaved Fig, Ficus tyrata, 
which bears large handsome leaves, often seen in the florists, 
and inedible fruits. 
House 3 — Climbing over the roof from a pot on the east bench, 
is a plant of Allamauda Hcvdersonii from Guiana, a relative of 
our Dogbane, with splendid yellow tubular flowers. Close by is 
the Cone Head, Strobilanthus Dyerianus, from Burma, so called 
