138 34- AMARVLLIDACEAE 



Flowers large, red reddish-yellow or reddish-white. Stigma i, simple 

 or 3-lobed - 24 



24. Flowers almost regular. Perianth-segments elliptical, about twice as long 



as the tube. Umbels 6 — g-flowered. Fruit oblong. — Species i. South 



Africa (Cape Colony). Used as an ornamental plant. Vallota Herb. 



Flowers distinctly irregular. Perianth-segmenti: 3—4 times as long as 



the tube 25 



25. Umbels 2 — 4-flowered. Scape hollow. Perianth hairy within. Fruit 



globose. (See 7.) Hippeastrum Herb. 



Umbels many-flowered ; spathe of 2 bracts. Scape solid. — Species 2. 

 South Africa to Damaraland Ammocharis Herb. 



26. Ovules sunk in the placentas, usually few in each ovary-cell. Stigma very 



small, capitate. Anthers linear. Scape sohd. — Species 60. Tropical 

 and South Africa. Some are used as ornamental or medicinal plants. 



(Including Stenolirion Bak.) (Plate ig.) Crinum L. 



Ovules not sunk in the placentas, many in each ovary-cell. Stigma more 

 or less distinctly 3-lobed or 3-parted. Anthers oblong. Scape hollow. — 

 Species 25. South and East Africa and Angola. Some are used as 

 om.amental plants Cyrtanthus Ait. 



27. (i.) Leaves fleshy, very long (i — 2 m.), in a rosette at the base or the 



top of the stem. Very tall plants. [Subfamily AGAVOIDEAE.] 28 



Leaves not fleshy and not very long. Smaller plants. [Subfamily HY- 



POXIDOIDEAE.] 30 



28. Filaments longer than the perianth. Flowers in spikes or panicles, usually 



greenish or yellow. Leav^es at the top of a very short stem. — Species 

 2. Cultivated and sometimes naturalised in North and South Africa 

 and some tropical islands. They yield fibre, fodder, drinks, medicaments, 

 and a substitute for soap, and are also used as hedge- or garden-plants. 



Agave L. 

 Filaments shorter than the perianth 29 



29. Filaments strongly thickened at the base. Flowers in panicles, white. 



Fruit ovoid. Leaves at the top of a short stem. — Species i. Cultivated 

 and sometimes naturalised in North and South Africa and some tropical 

 islands. It yields fibre, and is used as a hedge- or garden-plant, also in 



medicine. {Furcraea Vent.) Fourcroya Schult. 



Filaments slightly thickened at the base. Flowers in capitate spikes, 

 red. Fruit oblong or club-shaped. Leaves at the base of a long stem. — 

 Species I. Naturalised in the island of St. Helena. An ornamental plant. 



Doryanthes Correa 



30. Ovary inferior with many ovules in each cell. Perianth yellow, rarely 



white or red. Leaves all radical, usually hairy like the peduncle. [Tribe 



HYPOXIDEAE.] " 31 



Ovary inferior with 2 ovules in each cell or half-inferior or almost superior. 

 Perianth blue, red, or whitish. Leaves usually radical and cauline, 32 



