126 32. LILIACEAE 



8. Anthers attached by the base. Stem or inflorescence branched or twining. 



Leaves vanishing before the time of flowering. [Tribe ASPHODE- 



LEAE, Subtribe eriospekminae.] 9 



Anthers attached by the back. Stem simple. [Tribe SCILLEAE.] lo 



9. Inflorescence twining, bearing flowers on its upper branches only. Seeds 



oblong, with a small embryo. — Species i. South Africa. Used as an 



ornamental plant Bowiea Harv. 



Inflorescence bearing flowers on all its branches or not branched. Seeds 

 ovoid or globose, with a large embryo. ■ — • Species 7. South Africa to 

 Angola Schizobasis Bak. 



10. Flowers in nearly sessile heads or umbels surrounded b}^ an involucre. 



Perianth-segments united into a tube below. Leaves 2, oblong or 



ovate II 



Flowers in racemes or spikes, rarely solitary 12 



11. Perianth-segments very unequal. Inlaments free. — Species 3. South 



Africa. Used as ornamental plants Daubenya Lindl. 



Perianth-segments subequal. Filaments united at the base. — Species 30. 

 South Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. Massonia Thunb. 



12. Perianth-segments free or nearly free 13 



Perianth-segments united into a tube below '18 



13. Seeds flattened or sharply angled, more or less distinctly winged. Perianth 



white, j-ellow, or green 14 



Seeds globose or obovoid 13 



14. Perianth persistent : inner segments somewhat shorter than the outer, 



connivent at the top, hood-shaped or crested. — Species 70. South and 

 Central Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. Albuca L. 

 Perianth deciduous ; segments subequal, spreading or connivent and 

 bell-shaped. — • Species 55. Some of them are poisonous or used in medi- 

 cine or as ornamental plants Urginea Steinh. 



15. Inflorescence racemose, crowned by a tuft of leaf\' bracts. Perianth 



greenish. — Species 10. South Africa to Nyasaland. Some are used as 



ornamental plants Eucomis L'Her. 



Inflorescence without a terminal tuft of bracts 16 



lO. Perianth-segments convex, connivent at the top, whitish. Flowers in 

 spikes or spike-like racemes, sessile or short-stalked, the uppermost 

 abortive. Filaments broadened almost to the top. — Species 17. Central 

 and South Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. 



Drimiopsis Lindl. 



Perianth-segments spreading or canipanulately-connivent at the base. 



Flowers in racemes, long- or short-stalked, in the latter case filaments 



thread-shaped or broadened at the base only 17 



17. Perianth-segments i-nerved, blue or red, rarely whitish or greenish. Sta- 

 mens affixed to the perianth ; filaments thread-shaped or broadened at 

 the base only. — Species 100. Some have edible bulbs or are used in 



