Classification of Plants 267 



Ixia. — Style long ; branches short, awl-shaped. Outer bract short, 



brown, notched. 

 Streptanthera. — Style long; branches short, wedge-shaped. Bracts 



both papery, lacerated. Leaves short. 

 Dierama.— Style long, branches short, wedge-shaped. Bracts both 



papery, not cut. Leaves long, rigid. 



** Three style-branches, each bifid. Stamens curved towards one side 



of the flower — 

 Lapeyrousia.— Perianth tube slender, with the stamens borne at the 



throat. Ovules many. 

 Micranthus.— Perianth tube cylindrical. Stamens borne at the throat. 



Ovules 2, side by side. 

 Freesia. — Perianth tube broad. Stamens borne below the throat. 



Bracts small, green. 

 Watsonia. — Perianth tube widened at the middle where the stamens 



are borne. Bracts large, rigid, brown or green. 



*** Three style-branches undivided. Stamens curved towards one side 



of the flower — 

 Babiana. — The genus may be known by its hairy accordion-pleated 



leaves. 

 Melasphoerula.— Perianth without a tube, lobes long, pointed. 

 Sparaxis.— Perianth regular, with a short funnel-shaped tube. 



Bracts papery, deeply fringed or lacerated. 

 Tritonia.— Perianth nearly regular, with a short tube. Bracts small, 



brown, notched. 

 Crocosma. — Perianth nearly regular, with a cylindrical tube. Bracts 



short, oblong. Capsule inflated, deeply 3-lobed. 

 Acidanthera. — Perianth nearly regular, with a long tube. Bracts 



long, green. 

 Synnotia. — Perianth irregular. Bracts papery, deeply cut. 

 Gladiolus. — Perianth irregular, with a funnel-shaped tube. Bracts 



large, green, lanceolate. 

 Antholyza. — Perianth irregular ; tube swollen at the middle. Bracts 



oblong, lanceolate. 



Moraea. — Flowers without a tube, regular, but the petals 

 are much smaller than the sepals. Sepals showy, usually 

 narrowed into a claw. Petals lanceolate, sometimes minute 

 with a long, tapering point. 



The genus is known from the other genera by the large petal-like 

 stigmas. It is nearly like the Iris, " The fleur-de-lys," which is the 

 flower of chivalry, the emblem of the Crusader, Louis VII. 



The anthers are closely applied to the stigma but open away from it. 

 The stigmas receive pollen from other flowers on a transverse ridge just 

 above the stamens. 



