CORONARIEiE 339 



The members of this group are all herbaceous. 

 Only a few are annuals, the rest perennial. There 

 is a creeping, sympodial rhizome, as in Liliaceae. 

 Each year one joint of the sympodium appears above 

 the ground as a leafy shoot. The stem is not 

 lengthened, except the part bearing the inflorescence. 

 The rootstock bears scales. The stems are erect, 

 simple as a rule, and in some cases have internal 

 septa, with continuous or interrupted thick, white 

 pith. The leaves are narrow, often, as in Rushes, 

 centric. They are slender, narrow, flat, or round in 

 section, cylindrical, or are merely sheathing scales, 

 and stiff. 



The inflorescence is a crowded cyme, usually mono- 

 chasial. The flowers are small, green or brown, 

 axillary or terminal, or apparently lateral, regular, 

 bisexual, with bracteoles. The perianth is regular, 

 dry, inferior, sepaloid, in two whorls, three- to six- 

 partite, with the odd segment of the inner whorl 

 posterior. It is membranous or leathery. The 

 segments are distinct, persistent, nearly equal, over- 

 lapping in bud. There are six stamens in two whorls 

 of three, or without an inner whorl, inserted at the 

 base of the segments. The anther-stalks are flattened. 

 The anthers open laterally or inwards, and are 

 usually linear, basifixed. The pollen is in tetrads. 

 The ovary is free, one- to three-celled, superior, of 

 three carpels. The placentae are axile or parietal. 

 The styles are short or wanting, simple. There are 

 three slender stigmas, which are brush-like, papillose 



