3i. AMARYI.T.IDACEAE — 35. VELI.OZIACEAE — 36. TACCACEAE I39 



31. Ovary beaked. Fruit a berry. Flowers solitary or in dense spikes or heads. 



— Species 6. Tropical and South Africa. They yield fibre and are 

 used medicinally and as ornamental plants ; some have an edible root- 

 stock Curculigo Gaertn. 



Ovary not beaked. Fruit a capsule. Flowers solitary or in lax racemes 

 or umbels. — Species 60. Southern and tropical Africa. Some are used 

 as ornamental plants. (Including lanthe Salisb.) . . . Hypoxis L. 



32. Ovary almost inferior with 2 ovules in each cell. Anthers attached by the back, 



bursting lengthwise. Perianth with a distinct tube. Fruit i -seeded. 

 Flowers in panicles. Stem, leaves, and inflorescence woolly. — Species i. 

 South Africa (Cape Colony). [Tribe CONOSTYLIDEAE.] Lanaria Ait. 

 Ovary half-inferior or almost superior, with several or many ovules in 

 each cell. Anthers attached at the base or near it, bursting at or towards 

 the apex. Perianth divided nearly or quite to the ovary. Stem, leaves, 

 and inflorescence glabrous. [Tribe CONANTHEREAE.] ... 33 



33. Ovary half-inferior. Stamens more or less ur.equal. Flowers usually 



without bracteoles, solitary and terminal or arranged in racemes or 

 panicles. Leaves, all or most of them, crowded at the base of the stem. 



— Species 7. South Africa to Damaraland. Some have edible root-stocks 

 or are used as ornamental plants. Cyanella L. 



Ovary almost superior. Stamens equal. Flowers blue, with bracteoles, 

 solitary or in pairs and axillary, or arranged in panicles. Leaves 

 scattered along the stem. — Species 5. Southern tropical Africa. Some 

 have edible root-stocks Walleria Kirk 



FAMILY 35. VELLOZIACEAE 



Leaves linear. Flowers solitary, terminal, without bracteoles, regular, 

 hermaphrodite. Perianth-segments free or nearly so, petaloid, usually white. 

 Stamens 6. Anthers attached by the base. Ovary inferior, 3-celled. Placentas 

 projecting and peltately dilated. Ovules numerous. Style simple ; stigma 

 3-lobed. Fruit a capsule. Seeds black, compressed. Embryo very small, 

 enclosed by the albumen. (Under AMARYLUDEAE.) (Plate 20.) 



Genus i. Species 25. Tropical and South Africa. [Xerophyta Juss., under 

 Vellozia Vand.) Barbacenia \'and. 



FAMILY 36. TACCACEAE 



Herbs with a tuberous root-stock. Leaves all radical, large, stalked, twice 

 pinnately divided. Flowers in an umbel-like inflorescence on a leafless scape, 

 regular, hermaphrodite. Perianth greenish-brown, bell- or urn-shaped, with 

 a. short tube. Stamens 6. Filaments hooded. Anthers turned inwards. 

 Ovary inferior, i-celled, with parietal placentas. Ovules numerous, inverted. 

 Style short, umbrella-shaped, 6-lobed. Fruit a berry. Seeds compressed. 

 Embryo small, enclosed by the albumen. 



Genus i, species 2. Tropics. Used as ornamental plants and for plaiting- 

 work ; the tubers yield starch (arrowroot) and are edible when cooked. 



Tacca Forst. 



