276 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



aquatic plants, they assumed this form to meet the 

 difficulty of having to live out of water. 



General Description of the Bichardia Family. 



Hcrhs — Sometimes climbing by aerial roots ; with 

 acrid juice. 



Leaves — Linear or with ovate, sagittate, or peltate 

 blades. 



Flowers — Usually unisexual, on a spadix with or 

 without a spathe ; perianth, 3- to 6-parted or ; 

 stamens, definite or co ; anthers extrorse, or with pores ; 

 ovary, free, 1 -celled. 



Fruit — Berry. 



JuncacesB. 



The Palmiet Family. 



This order, named from the genus Jiuicus, the Eush, 

 which has nearly 200 species alone, contains about 

 80 additional ones ; many of the southern hemisphere 

 having only one or two apiece. 



Prio'num. — F. Palmi'ta, called the Palmiet, is 

 remarkable for its thick, trunk-like stem, four to six 

 feet in height, with a crown of broad serrated leaves, 

 from the middle of which rises a branched ])anicle, or 

 loose cluster of flowers. Like the true rushes, it is a 

 marsh-plant. The perianth is six-parted, more or less 

 glume-like ; there are six hypogynous, free stamens, a 



