This common inhabitant of our gardens is one of the most stately and characteristic of our California garden landscape plants, its massive fleshy foliage, when full-grown, making a fine effect in the sub-tropical gardens, and being excellent for large vase-work in front of buildings or the decoration of terrace walks, etc. It is a very slow grower, not attaining its full growth until fifteen or twenty years old, when (and not until then) it sends up its tall column-like flower-scape to the height of from thirtyfive to forty feet, or more, with a diameter of stem of over six inches at the base. The flower-scape makes a growth of six inches every twenty-four hours, drawing its sustenance seemingly from the thick large fleshy leaves. As the flower-stalk grows in height, the leaves gradually become thin and flabby until the flower-scape attains its full height, when the leaves are completely drained of all sap and flesh and become shriveled, lifeless pieces of fibre. After perfecting the flower, and ripening its seeds, the whole plant dies to the ground and is succeeded by a colony of suckers which form about the roots of the old plant. These should be taken up late in the Fall and planted in nursery rows about a foot or eighteen inches apart, and should be grown on until large enough to be planted out in permanent quarters There is quite a large number of interesting species belonging to this genus, some of them with variegated leaves and others with rosette-like bunches of leaves and of dwarf habit.