LILIIFLOILE. 309 



rows, and several spikelets oil the summit of the main axis, clustered into a 

 capitulum or unilateral spike. Each spikelet has numerous imbricate floral- 

 leaves and one flower. 24 species. South America. 



Order 5. Eriocaulaceae. The " Composita among Monocotyledons," a 

 tropical order. The flowers are borne in & capitulum surrounded by an involucre, 

 very similar to that of the Composite. The flowers are very small, unisexual, 

 $ and $ often mixed indiscriminately in the same capitulum ; they have the 

 usual pentaeyclic structure ; the leaves of the inner perianth are often connate 

 and more membranous than the outer ; in some the outer series of stamens 

 are suppressed ; in each of the 3 loculi is one pendulous ovule. Capsule. The 

 leaves are generally radical and grass-like. 335 species ; Eriocaiilun, Paepa- 

 lanthus, etc., E. septangulare on the west coast of Scotland, and Ireland, and in 

 North America. 



Order 6. Restiaceae. A small, especially S. African and S. Australian, 

 xerophilous order (about 235 species), which is quite similar in habit to the 

 Juucaceas and Cyperaceas. The leaves are often reduced to sheaths. The 

 flowers are dioscious, the perianth as in JHIICHS, but the outer series of stamens 

 suppressed. The ovary and fruit as in Eriocaulacese ; the ovary, however, may 

 be unilocular, and the fruit a nut. lientio, etc. 



Order 7. Centrolepidaceae. These are the most reduced plants in the 

 family ; small grass- or rush-like herbs. The flowers are very small, naked. 

 Stamens 1-2, carpels l-oo. 32 species. Australia. Centrolepis (flowers 

 generally with 1 stamen and 2-oo carpels). 



Family 5. Liliiflorae. 



The flower is constructed on the general monocotyledonous type^ 

 with 5 alternating, 3-ruerous whorls (Fig. 278), but exceptions are 

 found as in the Iridaceae (Fig. 279) by the suppression of the inner 

 whorl of stamens ; in a few the position in relation to the bract 

 differs from that represented in Fig. 278, and in some instead of the 

 trimerous, di- or tetra-merous flowers are found (e.g. Majantliemum, 

 Paris}. Flowers generally regular, hermaphrodite, with simple, 

 petaloid, coloured perianth (except, for example, Bromeliacea?) ; 

 ovary trilocular, generally with 2 ovules or 2 rows of ovules in the 

 inner angle of each loculus (Fig. 304 C, D). Endosperm always 

 present. A very natural family, of which some divisions in part 

 overlap each other. The habit varies ; the leaves are haweverlong, 

 entire, with parallel venation, except in Dioscoreaceee (Fig. 313). 



In the first orders of this family the flowers are hypogynous, and in the 

 first of all the styles are free, and the capsule dehisces septicidally ; in the 

 following the flowers are epigynous and in some reduced in number or uni- 

 sexual ; capsule with loculicidal dehisceuce, or a berry. 



HYPOGYNOUS flowers : Colchicaceas, Liliacea?, Couvallariacese, Bromeliacea) (in 

 part) . 



