LILIACE.E. 413 



LILIACE/E. 



Herbaceous or woody plants with underground rhizome 

 tuber or bulb, and leaves of various kinds. Flowers quite 

 regular, with all parts in threes: three sepals, three petals 

 (sometimes all six alike), six stamens opposite these, and 

 a superior ovary of three cells, each with many seeds. 



A very large family of about 200 genera and 2,500 to 3,000 

 species, in all climates and countries. Nearly allied to the 

 AMARYLLiDACE^ (q.y.) from which it differs chiefly in the ovary 

 being superior. 



The family is divided into eleven main sections arranged according to 

 the nature of the fruit and the underground tuber or bulb, and includes 

 among garden plants, the Tulip, Hyacinth, Onion, Aloe, and Funkia, in all 

 of which the fruit is a dry capsule ; and the Lily of the Valley, Solomon's 

 Seal and Asparagus) with berries. 



Climbers with heart-shaped leaves smilax. 



Stems green, branches slender needle-like . . . asparagus. 

 Small herb : flowers in irregular racemes . chlorophytum. 



Stem 2 feet leafy : flowers solitary, large lilium. 



Stem branched, leafy : flowers pendulous . . . disporum. 



SMILAX. F.B.L 156 I. 



Climbing plants with heart-shaped three-nerved 

 leaves, and small unisexual flowers in umbels on axillary 

 branches. Fruit a berry. 



Species about 200 in all parts of the world (Sarsaparilla, 

 Prickly Ivy. J^r. Clariege ; Ger. Steckwinde). 



The garden ' Smilax, ' is really a Ruscus and more nearly allied to 

 asparagus. 



Smilax aspera Li?in., var maculata ; KB. I. vi 306, 1 12. 

 Stem prickly (or not), as also the leaf-stalks and nerves 

 underneath. Leaves blotched, five to nine-nerved, ovate 

 deltoid or lanceolate, with rounded-cordate or hastate 

 base. Stalk J^. to I inch. Flowers in small umbels in 

 slender axillary spikes of 2 to 6 inches. Bracts % inch : 

 bracteoles minute. Flowers white, sweet-scented ; buds 



