134 



Tuberose, Agapantlius, Kiiiphofia, Fritillaria and others are highly 

 esteemed as ornamental flowering plants. The bulbs of Tulipa, Scilla 

 and of some other genera have been used medicinally, but are now 

 little esteemed. The leaves of Phormium tennx the " New Zealand Flax " 

 yield a fibre which is used for cordage and other purposes. The drug 

 known as Aloes is extracted from several species of Aloe, that yielded 

 by a species growing in the island of Socotra being considered the 

 best, the species principally used for this purpose in Natal is Aloe 

 ferox, though probably other species have been used, though not in 

 quantity. Several species of Allium are used in cookery, such as the 

 following : Onion, Eschalot, Leek, Garlic, Chives and others. Sarsa- 

 parilla is the root of several species of Smilax, and these roots are sent 

 to Europe in large quantities from South America, but we are not 

 aware whether our only indigenous species of the genus has been 

 tested for its medicinal properties. Many of our native species of the 

 Order are very ornamental, and though the individual flowers are not 

 large, the large number of them on each stem in some measure com- 

 pensates for their smaller size ; the flowers on one spike of some of the 

 Kniphofias, for instance are very numerous, those of K. multifiora 

 reaching to 3-400 or perhaps more on a single spike. Several of our 

 native species of Asparagus are in cultivation in Kurope, and are 

 highly esteemed, A. plumosus nanus being known everywhere, while 

 A. virgatus has been cultivated as a culinary vegetable. 



KEY TO SERIES. 



A. ASPARAGAOE^. 



Fruit baccate. Anthers dehiscing introrsely. 



Fruit a loculicidal capsule. Anthers dehiscing in- 

 trorsely. B. LlLIACE^ \^R^, 

 Fruit capsular. Anthers dehiscing extrorsely. C. CoLCHiCACE-a:. 



KEY TO GENERA. 



A. ASPARAGACE^. 



Stems climbing. Leaves reticulate. Flowers dioecious. 

 Stems climbing or erect. Leaves small and bract-like. 



Mowers hermaphrodite. 

 Stems climbing Leaves reticulate, veins conspicuous. 



Flowers cymose. 

 Stems erect. Veins inconspicuous. Flowers racemose 



or panicled. 



B. LILIACE^ VER^. 



KEY TO TRIBES. 



Rootstock not bulbous. Leaves not fleshy. Inflores- 

 cence racemose. Perianth segments united in 

 a tube at base. 



Rootstock not bulbous. Leaves thick, fleshy, toothed. 

 Inflorescence racemose. Perianth segments 

 united in a tube at the base. 



Smilax. 

 Asparagus. 

 Behnia. 

 Dracjina. 



Hemerocallej;. 



ALOINEiE, 



