ENDOGENS. 103 



regarded as made up of scales, analogous to bracts, without any thing that 

 can be strictly called either calyx or corolla being ever present. These 

 have in many instances the sexes separated ; but their glumaceous structure 

 overrules this peculiarity. 



Next to them seem to be stationed Bulrushes ; plants with scales too for 

 their floral envelopes, but arranged in rings, and so falling within the 

 definition of at least a calyx. Their sexes are disunited, and that important 

 circumstance associates them with Palms, Arums, and other arborescent 

 tropical plants, together with a small group of water plants, or Hydrals, 

 This separation of the sexes appears to be a mark of very great importance, 

 when it is complete ; and must not be confounded with another kind of 

 separation, in which flowers of one sex have the other sex present in an 

 imperfect condition, and often become actually hermaphrodite. All such 

 cases, although set down in books as monoecious or dioecious, are by no 

 means diclinous, and are excluded from the division containing the Aral 

 AUiance, with the exception of Palms, in which flowers are occasionally 

 altogether hermaphrodite, and which, therefore, form a real exception to 

 the prevailing character of this part of the classification. 



The remainder of Endogens are typically hermaphrodite, the number of 

 exceptions to that character being very few. One division of them has the 

 ovary adherent to the calyx and corolla, the other has that organ free, a 

 portion of the Narcissal Alliance having both characteristics. The hue of 

 orders thus associated is closed by the Alismal Alliance, some of whose 

 species are almost exogenous as has been akeady mentioned, while others, 

 being truly diclinous, carry the circle of affinity back to the Hydi-al Alliance. 



Alliances of Endogens. 



I. Glumales. — Flowers glumaceous ; {that is to say, composed of bracts not 



collected in true whorls, but consisting of imbricated colour- 

 less or herbaceous scales). 



II. Flowers petaloid, or furnished with a true calyx or corolla, or with both^ 



or absolutely naked ; S 9 {that is, having sexes altogether 

 in different flowers, without half formed rudiments of the 

 absent sexes being present). 



Arales. — Flowers naked or consisting of scales, 2 or 3 together, or riumerous, 



and then sessile on a simjyle naked spadix ; embryo axile ; 



albumen mealy or fleshy. {Some have no albumen.) 

 Palmales. — Flowers perfect {with both calyx and corolla), sessile on a branched 



scaly spadix; embryo vague, solid; albumen horny or 



fleshy. Some Palms are § . 

 Hydrales, — Flowers perfect or imperfect, usually scattered ; embryo axile, 



without albumen — aquatics. {Some are .) 



III.— Flowers furnished with a true calyx, and corolla, adherent to the 



ovary ; . 



Narcissales. — Flowers symmetrical; stamens 3 or 6, or more, all p)erfect ; 

 seeds with albumen ; flowers unsymmetrical. {Some Bro- 

 meliacem have a free calyx and corolla.) 



