259 



seeded ; style 1 ; stigmas 5, often petaloid, sometimes 2-lipped. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved, 

 with a loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds attached to the inner angle of the cell, sometimes to a 

 central column, becoming- loose ; albumen corneous, or densely fleshy; embryo enclosed with- 

 in it. — Herbaceous plants, or very seldom undershrubq, usually smooth ; the hairs, if there are 

 any, simple. Roots tuberous or fibrous. .Learcsequitant, distichous, except in Crocus. In- 

 ^florescence terminal, in spikes, corymbs, or panicles, or crowded. Bracteae spathaceous, the 

 partial ones often scarious ; the sepals occasionally rather herbaceous. 



Affinities. — They differ from Amaryllideaj essentially, in being triandrous, 

 with the anthers turned outwards ; from Orchidea:, to which they approach 

 very nearly in some respects, in not being gynandrous, and in all their anthers 

 being distinct ; from Scitamineae and Marantacese their three perfect stamens 

 divide them, independently of the structure of the leaves, which are extremely 

 different. The Iris represents the general structure of the order ; but a depar- 

 ture from the form of perianthium found in that genus takes place in the Crocus, 

 the flower of which is extremely like that of Gethyllis and Sternbergia among 

 Amaryllideas on the one hand, and of Colchicum among Melanthaceaj on the 

 other ; the latter is known by its superior triple ovarium. The dilated stigma 

 found in Iris is characteristic of the whole order ; in Crocus it is rolled up in- 

 stead of being spread open. Mr. Brown observes, that Burmannia appears at 

 first sight to agree with Irideas, especially in its equitant leaves, coloured supe- 

 rior triandrous perianthium, and 3 dilated stigmas ; it cannot, however, be 

 united with them, on account of its fertile stamens being opposite the inner seg- 

 ments of the perianthium, and alternating with an equal number of sterile 

 ones, on account of the transverse dehiscence of the anthers, and also the struc- 

 ture of the seeds. In Xyris some resemblance with this order is discoverable, 

 especially in the disposition of the leaves, the triandrous flowers, and anthers 

 turned outwards ; but that genus is very distinct in its inferior perianthium, the 

 outer segments of which are glumaceous, and the inner distinctly petaloid, in 

 the ungues bearing their stamens at the apex, in their sterile alternate stamens, 

 and especially in the structure of the seed. Prodr. 302. 



Geography. Principally natives either of the Cape of Good Hope, or 

 of the middle parts of North America and Europe. A few only are found 

 within the tropics, and the order is generally far from abundant in South Ame- 

 rica, if compared with the numbers that exist at the Cape. The genera Ma- 

 rica and Moraea appear to occupy the same station in hot climates that Iris, a 

 closely related genus, does in cooler latitudes. 



Properties. More remarkable for their beautiful fugitive flowers than for 

 their utility. The rhizoma of some of them is slightly stimulating, as the 

 violet-cented Orris root, the produce of Iris Florentina. A few, such as Iris tu- 

 berosa are purgative ; and Iris versicolor and verna are used as cathartics in 

 the United States. The substance called Saffron is the dried stigmas of a cro- 

 cus ; the colouring ingredient is a peculiar principle, to which the name of Po- 

 lychroite has been given. It possesses the remarkable properties of being to- 

 tally destroyed by the action of the solar rays, of colouring in small quantity a 

 large body of water, and of forming blue and green tints when treated with 

 sulphuric and nitric acid, or with sulphate of iron. Dec. According to Mr. 

 Gray, the roasted seeds of Iris pseud-acorus very nearly approach Coffee in 

 quality. Suppl. Pharmac. 237. 



Examples. Iris, Moraea, Ixia, Gladiolus. 



