448 SMILACE^. [part ii. 



this order ; and both have an enormously-large 

 tuberous root which is eatable, and a very- 

 slender climbing stem, with rather small leaves 

 and inconspicuous flowers. The ovary is below 

 the flower, and the fruit is capsular. 



ORDER CXCIIL— TAMACE^. 

 This order consists only of the genus Tamus, 

 the Black Bryony, which Dr. Lindley includes 

 in Dioscoreae. It has, ^however, a berry-like 

 fruit. 



ORDER CXCIV.— SMILACE^. 



This order includes Smilax, the root of a 

 species of which affords the drug called Sarsa- 

 parilla, the Lily of the Valley (Convallaria), 

 and the Alexandrian Laurel, or Butcher's 

 Broom (Ricscus). The male and female flowers 

 in Smilax are on different plants ; and in Rus- 

 cus the flowers spring from the middle of the 

 leaves. The perianth is in six equal segments, 

 and there are six stamens. The ovary is three- 

 celled, with the cells one or many seeded, 

 and the fruit is a globose berry. The seeds, 

 when ripe, have a brown membranous skin. 

 Dr. Lindley confines this tribe to Smilax, and 

 Ripogonum ; and includes the other genera in 

 Liliacese. 



