TEJRMINOLOGY IN MONOCOTYLEDONS. 491 



Vellozieae become very unnaturally separated from Amaryllide» 

 and Hypoxidese, to associate them with Pontederacese, &c. 



Some other partial rearrangements of Monocotyledons, accord- 

 ing to the relative importance attached by different botanists to 

 the several chief characters, have been proposed, but none of 

 them followed out sufficiently to require special mention. 



In classing these orders for the ' Flora Australiensis ' I have 

 endeavoured, as far as possible, to conciliate practical conve- 

 nience with supposed natural affinity ; and after trying in detail 

 various combinations, the following main groups, corresponding 

 in many respects to those of Fries, have appeared to me the 

 most appropriate — although, in consequence of the necessity of 

 placing them in a lineal series (which is not in nature) some orders 

 become still separated from near connexions, and the characters 



* 



given can very rarely be regarded as absolute without exception. 



Alliance (Cohors) L Epigyn^e. Ovary inferior. Perianth usually 2- 



seriate. 



Aquatic plants with regular flowers and exalbuminous seeds : Hydro- 

 charidea. 



*# 



Terrestrial plants with irregular flowers and exalbuminous seeds : Sci- 



taminea (including Musacea and Cannea). 



**# 



Terrestrial plants with irregular or regular flowers and minute exal- 

 buminous seeds, the embryo apparently homogeneous : Orchidea (including 

 Apostasiece) and Burmanniacece. 



***# 



Terrestrial plants with regular or oblique flowers and albuminous 



seeds : Iridece, Amaryllidece (including Hcemodorece, Velloziea, Hypoxidea, 



&e.), Taccacea, and Dioscoridece ; also the American order Bromeli- 

 acece. 



Alliance 2. Coronary, Ovary superior, usually syncarpous. Pe- 

 rianth usually 2-seriate. Seeds albuminous. 



* Perianth of both series petaloid : Roxburghiacea, Liliacece (inclu- 

 ding Smilacea, Asparagea, Ag ave<e % Melantkacea, and several proposed 

 small orders), Pontederacece^ 



»# 



Outer perianth calycine or none, inner petaloid : Philydracete, Xyri- 



dea, Commelynacea. 



## * Perianth of both series calycine : Juncea (including Xerotidece), 

 Palm*. 



