154. IRIDACEjE. [1. Belamcanda. 



unilateral, sometimes solitary on the rhacliis, more usually sympodially 

 spicate or racemose on the branches of forked cymes. Perianth 

 adnate to the ovary and produced above it into a persistent 6-, rarely 

 3-lobed gamophyllous often angled tube, lobes valvate. Anthers 3 or 

 6, 2-celled, sessile on the perianth. Ovary inferior 3-celled or 1-celled 

 with 3 parietal placentas ; style 1, short, stigmas various. Ovules man3% 

 small, anatropous, with 2 integuments. Fruit capsular, sometimes with 

 transverse or irregular dehiscence. Seeds minute, testa reticulate, 

 often produced. Albumen few-celled only. Embryo very minute. 



1. BURMANNIA, L. 



Annual herbs, leaves often inconspicuous. Flowers solitary or 

 few or more on the branches of a forked cyme. Perianth tube winged 

 or angled, 3-lobed. Petals smaller or 0. Anthers 3, sessile or sub- 

 sessile, cells short separated by a broad connective, dorsally crested, 

 dehiscence transverse. Ovary 3-celled, style 3-lobed. 

 1. B. coelestis, Don. 



A very pretty little plant with erect very slender or filiform strict 

 stems nearly leafless except towards the base, 2-12" high, terminating 

 in a solitary' floAver, or 2-5 flowers in luxuriant specimens. Flowers 

 cobalt blue '3- -5" long, oblong-elliptic or almost orbicular in outline, 

 prominently winged. 



In wet grassy places. Purneah, common ! Eanchi, 2000-3000 ft. ! Singbhura, 

 usually above 1000 ft. ! Hazaribagh (Giridih), Clarke ! Behar and Tirhut, 

 Bengal Plants. Probably in all districts. PL, Fr. c.s. 



Leaves usually clustered near the root, -2- -7", lanceolate or subulate with a 

 filiform tip, cauline few usually narrower. Bracts similar to the leaves. 



FAM. 15^. IRIDACE^. 



Herbs, often with rhizomatous tuberous or bulbous rootstocks and 

 usually narrow distichous or equitant leaves. Flowers 2-sexual in 

 terminal 1-many-fiowered inflorescence, 2-bracteate, regular or zygo- 

 morphic. Perianth superior, with 2 different or usually similar and 

 petaloid, 3-merous whorls usually with long or short tube at base, 

 .tepals imbricating. Stamens always 3 (belonging to the outer whorl 

 of the normal Lilifiorous type), free or connate, epigynous or adnate 

 to the outer perianth whorl, anthers often narrow, basifixed, extrorse. 

 Ovary 3-celled. Stj'le-branches usually branched or divided above, 

 rarely simple, frequently more or less petaloid or expanded. Ovules 

 many, 2-seriate axile anatropous. Fruit a 3-gonous, 3-celled, loculi- 

 cidal capsule. Seeds many, roundish or angled by pressure, with thick 

 or thin testa. Embryo immersed in the albumen, short, cylindric. 



There are no wild species in our area, but several beautiful garden or verandah 

 plants are commonly cultivated, such as Cipuru, Freesia, etc., and the following is 

 included in the F.B.I. 



1. BELAMCANDA, Aclajns. 

 1. B. chinensis, Leman. Syn. Pardanthus chinensis, Ker, ; Leopard- 

 flower. 

 A free-growing plant with iris-like equitant leaves from a creeping 



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