KEY TO THE FAMILIES 



Segments in series of 4's: stems usually twining: 



seeds many 187 . 



Segments in series of 3's: stems not twining: seeds 



several 188 . 



14b. Ovary inferior. 



16a. Fr. a 3-winged capsule. 



Twining vines: fls. unisexual: seeds few, winged. 190. 

 Erect herbs: fls. bisexual: seeds many, very small. 195. 

 16b. Fr. not winged: stems not twining. 



17a. Stamen, or stamens, not united with the pistil. 

 18a. Plants not tree-like, rarely over lm. tall: perfect 

 stamens 1, 3 or 6: fr. a capsule. 

 19a. Perfect stamens 3 or 6: fls. often more or less 

 irregular. 

 20a. Stamens 6. 



Fls. in a spike-like raceme terminating 

 a long or short scape: with fascicled 

 or fibrous roots. 

 Perianth cleft or divided: scape short (8- 



■ 15 cm.) 



Perianth lobed or shortly cleft: scape 



long (50-80 cm.) 



Fls. single or in clusters, from a spathe-like 



bract: usually with bulbs 189. 



20b. Stamens 3, opposite the outer series of peri- 

 anth segments: lvs. often equitant 191. 



19b. Perfect stamen 1: staminodes 1 or more, at least 

 some of them petaloid: fls. very irregular. 

 Anthers 2-celled: calyx tubular or spathe-like: 

 plants usually aromatic: seeds small and 



numerous 193. 



Anthers 1-celled: sepals free: seeds few, 



globose, hard and black 194. 



18b. Plants tree-like, herbs 1-6 m. tall: If. bases clasp- 

 ing and over-lapping to form a false stem; 

 the blades 0.5-2 m. long: fls. very irregular: 

 perfect stamens 5: fr. an oblong leathery- 

 skinned berry, 10-20 cm. long 192. 



17b. Stamen, or stamens, united with the pistil to form 

 a definite gynandrium: anthers 2-celled: pollen 

 usually borne in agglutinated masses (pollinia). 196. 



Stemonaceae 

 Liliaceae 



Dioscoreaceae 

 Burmanniaceae 



Ophiopogon 

 Aletris 



Amaryllidaceae 

 Iridaceae 



Ziwgiberaceae 

 Cannaceae 



Musaceae 



Orchidaceae 



21 



