IRIDACE. 137 
we take care to distinguish raphides from crystal prisms and spheraphides, as 
defined in Mr. Gulliver’s paper, cited in page 19 of the present volume of this work. 
We there, by an inadvertent expression, in the account of raphides, under Lemna, 
made it appear that Mr. Gulliver’s discovery of the raphidian character in systematic 
botany was “since” the appearance of Dr. Lankester’s “‘ Notes on Raphides,” in the 
“Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science” for October 1863, whereas Dr. 
Lankester, in those ‘“‘ Notes,’’ especially referred to Mr. Gulliver’s researches on this 
subject, previously published in the “ Annals of Natural History,’ and indeed to the 
writings on raphides of many other botanists. 
ORDER LXXXI.—IRIDACE A. 
< 
Perennial herbs often with a tuberous, cormose or bulbous rhizome, 
or rarely with the rhizome reduced to a bud at the apex of slender 
radical fibres. Leaf-bearing stem frequently developed, simple or 
sparingly branched at the apex. Leaves entire, narrow, sheathing at 
the base, generally ensiform and equitant, sometimes flat or channelled 
and linear, sometimes tetragonal with parallel or cancellate venation, 
sometimes all radical; stem leaves alternate. Flowers perfect, regular 
or irregular, terminal or in spikes, fascicles, corymbs, or panicles, or 
rarely solitary, enclosed in herbaceous or more or less membranous 
spathes while in bud. Perianth with the tube herbaceous and adnate 
to the ovary, frequently prolonged beyond it and with the free 
portion more or less coloured; limb of six segments, separate or 
more or less united; the segments all alike or the three outer ones 
dissimilar, or the upper and lower ones dissimilar to those of the 
two lateral pairs, in which case those of each of the lateral pairs 
alike, but dissimilar to those of the other pair. Stamens 3, inserted 
on the top of the ovary or in the tube of the perianth, opposite to 
the outer perianth segments; filaments free or more or less mona- 
delphous; anthers affixed by the base or by the middle of the back, 
extrorse, 2-celled; pollen granular. Ovary inferior, adnate to the 
tube of the perianth, rarely partially superior, usually trigonous or 
prismatic, rarely subglobose; ovules numerous in each cell, rarely few, 
inserted in the inner angle of the cell; style simple; stigmas 3, 
frequently petaloid; capsule dry, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds nu- 
merous; testa membranous, coriaceous or fleshy; albumen plentiful, 
fleshy, cartilaginous or horny. 
In this order crystal prisms occur abundantly, They are scattered through the 
plant-tissue, either singly or in twos or threes, and then appearing as if partly fused 
VOL. IX. Tr : 
