so little tempting in appearance, and so small and so
inconspicuous as the seeds of grasses!

Allied to the grasses are the sedges (forming the order _Cyperaceae_),
and the rushes (_Juncaceae_). The apparently insignificant, but really
interesting duckweeds (_Pistiaceae_) should also be noted with the
bullrushes (_Typheae_), and the arums (_Aroideae_). This last-mentioned
order, familiar to us by the kind known as "Lords and Ladies," presents
some climbing forms in tropical countries. Generally acrid, some
species, when in flower, even produce headache and vomiting; at least an
explorer was attacked with these symptoms after gathering forty
specimens of _Arum dracunculus_. The order is also interesting from
experiments as to vegetable heat, which have been made with the flowers
of some of its species.

The screw-pines (_Pandanaceae_) are not "pines" at all, any more than
"pine-apples" are pines. They are, indeed, trees or shrubs, which, from
one point of view, may be regarded as gigantic bulrushes. The flowers of
certain species are in some places eaten as the solid equivalent of a
love potion. Allied to the plants of the last-mentioned order are the
palms (_Palmaceae_), which are the first really large trees we come to
after leaving the tree-ferns and the gymnosperms. Amongst the more
noteworthy palms may be mentioned the palmetto (_Chamaerops_) of Southern
Europe (a summer ornament of our public gardens), the date palm, the
areca palm, the sago palm, the cocoa palm, the rattan palm--a natural
cordage--and _Seaforthia_, so remarkable for its graceful and elegant
form.

Next may be enumerated the great order of lilies (_Liliaceae_), to which
the homely and useful onion, leek, garlic, chive, and asparagus belong,
no less than a multitude of lovely flowers.

The New Zealand flax (_Phormium tenax_), and all the magnificent yuccas
and aloes, together with our English butcher's broom (_Ruscus
aculeatus_), which has not a little botanical interest (as being the
only British shrub which belongs to the group called "Monocotyledons")
also belong to this order. Closely allied to the lilies are the
amaryllids (_Amaryllidaceae_), amongst which are the agaves, with their
gigantic flower stems, sometimes forty feet high, supporting a
multitudinous crop of flowers, the product and termination of a life.

To these follow the pine-apples (_Bromeliaceae_) all originally from
America, the useful bananas and plantains (_Musaceae_), a