184 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 3 



Order Liliace^. 



Flowers perfect; calyx and corolla similarly coloured, 

 usually regular. Perianth lobes separate or united in a tube. 

 Stamens 6. Ovary superior. Fruit a 3-celled capsule or 

 berry. The flower-stalks aie usually jointed, just under the 

 flower, at the middle or near the base. The stalk separates 

 here when the seeds are ripe, or if the ovules are not fertilized. 



This large order includes trees, shrubs, or bulbous or fibrous 

 rooted herbs. The flowers may be large and showy or small 

 and greenish. They may be arranged in umbels, spikes, 

 racemes, or panicles. 



Series I. — Fruit a berry. Anthers opening toward the pistil. 



Smilax. — Stems woody, climbing. Leaves normal, net-veined. Flowers 



dioecious. 

 Asparagus. — Stems generally woody, climbing or erect. Leaves small, 



bract-like, with one or several leaf-like branches in their axils. 



Series II. — Fruit a capsule. Anthers versatile, opening toward the pistil. 

 A. Rootstock not bulbous. Perianth lobes united. 

 B. Flowers in racemes 



Kniphoiia. — Leaves not fleshy. Perianth tube long. 

 Aloe. — Leaves fleshy. Perianth with a short tube. 

 BB, Flowers in umbels. 



Agapanthus. — Flowers blue, 

 AA, Rootstock not bulbous. Perianth lube cut down to the base. 

 Anthers swinging, 

 Bulbinella. — Flowers yellow or white. Filaments smooth. 

 Bulbine. — Flowers yellow. Filaments bearded. Ovules more 

 than two in a cell, 

 AAA. Rootstock bulbous or tuberous. Flowers in racemes or spikes. 

 B. Perianth cut down to the base. 



Bowiea.— Rootstock bulbous. Stem climbing. Leaves and 



branches Asparagus-like, 

 Eriospermum. — Rootstock tuberous. Stem erect. Seeds woolly, 

 Albuca, — Rootstock bul])ous. Petals conniving but not united. 



Seeds flattened, crowded. 

 Eucomis. — Seeds not crowded. Raceme crowned by a rosette 



of leafy bracts. 

 Ornithogalum, — Perianth lobes spreading. Raceme not crowned 

 with Inacts. Flowers never blue, 

 BB. Perianth lobes united, 



Lachenalia. — Perianth cylindrical. Outer segments usually 

 shorter. 



