EXPLANATION OF PLATE II. 
Fig. 1 . Yucca aloifolia. (Family of the JJliaceae.) Adam’s Needle. A tree of 
ten or twelve feet in height, indigenous in the West Indies. Stype cylindric, erect, 
sometimes two or three-forked. Leaves terminal, alternate, crowded, semi-amplexi- 
caulis, ensiform; the upper ones erect, the lower ones pendent, the intermediate, 
spreading or reflexed. i Panicle simple, terminal, pyramidal. Flowers pendent. Peri¬ 
anth simple, six-sepalled, campanulate, This plant belongs to Hexai^dria Monogynia. 
It is the majestic lily of the tropics. The name Yucca is from Jucca, the Indian ap¬ 
pellation. 
Fig. 2. Saccharum officinale. (Family of the Grasses.) Sugar-cane. An her¬ 
baceous, perennial plant, which grows to the height of ten or twelve feet. Culm is 
vertical, cylindrical, solid. Leaves sheathing, elongated, ensiform. Panicle large, 
silky. The name Saccharum is from the Arabic, soukar , sugar. This plant is thought 
* to be a native of India, but it is now cultivated in most warm countries. With most 
of the grass-like plants, it belongs to Triandria Digynia. 
Fig. 3. Ferula, tingitana. (Family of the Umbelliferce.) Giant-fennel. Herba¬ 
ceous plant, biennial, 8 or 9 feet in height. Stem cylindrical, vertical. Leaves alter¬ 
nate, large, decompound, with very small leafets. Petioles with a large base, amplex- 
icaulis. Panicle terminal, composed of umbels. This plant grows in Spain and 
Barbary; it belongs to Pentandria Digynia, where the umbelliferous tribe is mostly 
classed. A species of this genus, Ferula assafoetida , produces from its root the me¬ 
dicinal gum, assafoetida; from anotherspeci.es, the galbanum is obtained. 
Fig. 4. Cymeidium echinocarpon. (Family of the Orckidece.) A parasitic plant of 
South America which grows to the height of two or three feet. Stems compressed. 
Leaves opposite, oval, acute. Capsule bristly. This plant belongs to Gynandria 
Monandria. A species C* pulchellum (grass-pink) is very common in our region. 
* It may be proper to inform the student, that where several species of a genus are mentioned, it is very 
common to designate the name of the genus by the initial letter ; thus C. stands for Cymbidium. 
