ORDER LIV.--=Orchidaceæ=: Woody vine; three hundred and thirty-four
genera.
_Vanilla_ (climbs over lofty trees): Tropical and sub-tropical
southern Mexico, coast of Vera Cruz. Cultivated in Guatemala,
Mauritius, Bourbon, Madagascar, Java.
ORDER LV.--=Zingiberaceæ=: Herbs; thirty-six genera.
_Curcuma_ (turmeric): Farther India and Asiatic isles, southern Asia
and Malay Peninsula. Cultivated in Hindustan, Cochin-China, southern
India, Bengal, Java, Pacific Isles.
_Elettaria_ (cardamom): Perennial. Tropical Asia. Cultivated in
southern India, Madras, Allepy, Ceylon.
_Maranta_ (arrowroot): Tropical America, Florida.
_Musa_ (banana): Asia. Cultivated in Indian Archipelago, China,
Cochin-China, Hindustan, Australia, Pacific Islands, Madagascar,
western Africa, Sicily, southern Spain, Mexico, Central America,
Colombia, Peru, northern Brazil, Guiana, West Indies, southern
Florida, and Louisiana.
_Musa_ (manila): Philippines. Cultivated in India and southern Asia.
_Zingiber_ (ginger): Sub-tropical. Southern Asia. Cultivated on
western coast of Africa, in the West Indies, and southern slopes of
Himalayas.
ORDER LVI.--=Bromeliaceæ=: Herbs; twenty-seven genera.
_Ananassa_ (pineapple): Perennial root. Tropical. Bahama Islands.
Cultivated in South America, Florida, southern shores of Europe,
East Africa, Pacific Isles, India.
ORDER LVII.--=Iridaceæ=: Herbs; fifty-seven genera.
_Crocus_ (saffron): Throughout southern parts of North Temperate
Zone.
ORDER LVIII.--=Dioscoreaceæ=: Shrubs; eight genera.
_Dioscorea_ (yam): Tropical and sub-tropical Africa.
_Dioscorea_ (Chinese yam): America, Asia, Malaysia. Cultivated in
Japan, East Indies, Siam.
ORDER LIX.--=Liliaceæ=: Herbs; one hundred and eighty-seven genera.
_Asparagus_: Perennial herb. Japan, Levant. Cultivated in England,
Holland, central Europe, Mediterranean countries, sandy places of
Poland, southern Russia, Hindustan, North America.
_Aloe_: Southern Asia, Arabia, southern Africa. Cultivated in
southern Europe, northern Africa, British West Indies.
ORDER LX.--=Palmæ=: Shrubs and small and large trees; one hundred and
thirty-seven genera.
_Areca_ (betelnut): Sunda Isles, Philippines, Cochin-China, Sumatra,
southern India.
_Cocos_ (cocoanut): East India Archipelago, Arabia, Persia, Malay.
Cultivated in eastern Africa, western America, Brazil, West Indies,
islands of Central America.
_Metroxylon_ (sago palm): Malacca, southern China. Cultivated in
Eastern Archipelago.
_Phœnix_ (date palm): Between 15° and 30° north latitude, from
Atlantic Coast to the River Indus; Sahara oases. Cultivated in Acre,
Palmyra, Jaffa.
ORDER LXI.--=Gramineæ=: Herbs; one thousand two hundred and ninety-eight
genera.
_Avena_ (oats): West central Asia, east central Europe. Cultivated
in Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Canada, United States.
_Hordeum_ (barley): Annual. Temperate western Asia. Cultivated in
northern Russia, Siberia, etc.
_Oryza_ (rice): Southern Asia. Cultivated in India, China, Japan,
East Indies, Africa, southern Europe, Hungary, South America,
southern United States.
_Setaria_ (millet): China, Japan, India. Cultivated wherever oats
and rye are, except in United States.
_Saccharum_ (sugar-cane): Perennial. Cochin-China. Cultivated in
West Indies, Brazil, Mexico, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri,
Mauritius, southern India, Pacific Islands, northern Australia.
_Sorghum_ (broom corn): Annual. Middle Africa. Cultivated in
southern India, northern Africa, southern and middle Europe,
throughout United States.
_Secale_ (rye): Southern Russia and north of Black and Caspian Seas.
Cultivated in northern Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Russia,
western Europe, United States.
_Triticum_ (wheat): Cultivated in western Asia, western America,
southern Russia, central and western Europe, southern Italy, Turkey,
Syria, northern and southern Africa, Brazil, Chile, Australia. Great
wheat-growing regions are southwestern plains of Russia and central
plain of North America, and in southern California, northern India,
England.
_Zea_ (Indian corn or maize): America. Cultivated in United States,
upper Canada, South America, Mexico, southern Europe, Africa,
western Asia.
ORDER LXII.--=Coniferæ=: Shrubs, trees; thirty-two genera.
_Abies_ (fir): Northeastern North America, Quebec, New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, middle States, western Wisconsin. Cultivated in
England.
_Chamæcyparis_ (cypress): Evergreen, cypress. Cultivated between 30°
and 42° N. latitude in both hemispheres, Carolinas, Georgia,
Florida.
_Lumpirus_ (cedar): Trees and shrubs. Middle and western Europe,
northern Asia, North America.
_Larix_ (larch): Mountains of middle Europe, north of New York to
Pacific Ocean.
(2) _Gymnosperms (jĭm´ṉō̇-sperms)._--Plants producing naked seeds (_i.
e._, seeds not inclosed in an ovary), as the common pine and hemlock.
This second division of flowering plants (_phanerogams_) includes four
living groups: (a) Coniferæ, including all evergreen trees, such as
pine, fir, redwood (_Sequoia_), etc.; (b) Cycadaceæ, trees such as
cypress, palmetto, etc.; (c) Gnetaceæ; (d) Ginkgo. There are about five
hundred living species.