i it i ii i; a e. 



Ensatae Gawl. (Ker) in Ann. of Botany I. 219. (1805). — Irides Juss. Gen. 57. (1789). — Irideae 

 Bob. Brown Prodr. Fl. N. Boll. 302. (1810). Ker, Gen. Irid. (1827). DC. et Dnby Bot. Gall. 451. (1828). 

 Lindley, Synops. 254. (1829). L. Beichenb. Conspectus (1828) etFlor. excurs. (1830) Fam. 42. LmcUey, 

 Syst. (1832.) 239. Bartl. ord. nat. 44. Endl. Gen. 164. Klatt in Linnaea XXXI. 63. 371.533. XXXII. 

 689. XXXIV. 537. XXXV. 291. 377. — Iridaceae Lindl. Introd. 2. ed 332. Veg. Kingd. 159. 



Monocotyledoneae corollaceae. Perigonium superum 6 -(v. rectius2x3-) partitum, interdum inaequale. 

 Stamina tria basi laciniarum exteriorum inserta, interdum monadelpha. Antherae extrorsum deiiiscentes. 

 Ovarium inferum triloculare trivalve, valvis medio septiferis. Semina plura angulo loculorum interno adfixa. 

 Embryo in albumine axilis. — Herbae bhizomatibus tuberosis seu bulbosis, foliis ensiformibvs vel linea- 



BIBUS EQUITANTIBUS, FLOBIBUS SPATHIS CINCTIS SOLJTABIIS V. IN INFLORESCENTIAS CYMOSAS DJSP0S1TTS. 



Flores hermaphroditi regulares v. irregulares, saepius majusculi speciosi, plerumque fuga- 

 cissimi, singuli bracteis duabus spathaceis v. rarius pluribus, utplurimum scariosis cincti, spatha 

 conimuni diphylla subfoliacea. Perigonium corollinum superum, tubuloso-sexfidum, laciniis aequa- 

 libus v. interioribus saepius minoribus dissimilibus , interdum subnullis v. rarissime majoribus, re- 

 gularibus, utplurimum caducissimum , nonnunquam post anthesin spiraliter convolutum mar- 

 cescens. Stamina 3, epigyna v. perigonii tubo laciniarum ve basi inserta, semper laciniis exterio- 

 ribus opposita, erecta, exserta v. inclusa. Filamenta filiformia, subulata, libera v. basi aut juxta 

 totam longitudinem in tubum connata. Antherae extrorsae, oblongae, ovatae v. sagittatae, basi 

 fixae v. medio dorso insertae, versatiles; loculi oppositi, contigui v. basi discreti, juxta longitu- 

 dinem debiscentes. Ovarium inferum, trigonum v. prismaticum, rarius teres v. subglobosum, trilo- 

 culare. Ovula in loculis plurima, bi — pluriseriata v. interdum uniseriata, angulo interiori im- 

 mediatim, vel columnae centrali in loculos prominenti inserta, utplurimum horizontalia, interdum 

 adscendentia v. pendula, anatropa. Stylus simplex. Stigmata 3, staminibus alterna v. opposita, 

 saepissime petaloideo-dilatata v. convoluta, integra, bi — trifida. Capsula membranacea v. coriacea, 

 interdum cartilaginea , trigona v. gibboso- triloba, trilocularis, loculicido-tri valvis, valvis medio 

 septiferis, placentis nerviformibus dissepimentorum margini adnatis, v. in columnam centralem 

 a dissepimentis solutam persistentem connatis. Semina plurima, subglobosa v. pressione mutua 

 angulata, aut in situ horizontali saepius piano - compressa , marginata v. alata. Testa mem- 

 branacea, saepius laxa v. chartacea, aut interdum coriacea v. carnosa, umbilico basilari ope 

 rhapheos saepius liberae v. solubilis cum chalaza apicali, vix non semper manifesta, conjuncto. 

 irid. 64 



