38. IRIDACEAE 141 



Leaves scattered along the stem or crowded at its base. Filaments free, 

 rarely united, but then perianth with a very short tube. Style-branches 

 not petal-Uke. — Species 50. South and North Africa and mountains of 

 Central Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. [Trichonema 

 Ker) Romulea Maratti 



5. (i.) Spathes i-flowered, in spikes. Style-branches well developed, gener- 



ally alternate with the anthers, thread-shaped or thickened at the top, 

 more rarely dilated and almost petal-like, but undivided. Flowers 

 usually more or less irregular. Stem leafy. [Subfamily IXIOIDEAE.] 6 

 Spathes 2- or more-flowered, rarely i -flowered, but then style-branches 

 either reduced to short teeth, or opposite the anthers, petal-like, and 

 2-lobed. Flowers regular, but the inner perianth-segments often very 

 different from the outer ones. [Subfamily IRIDOIDEAE.] . . 23 



6. Style-branches 2-parted. [Tribe WATSONIEAE.] 7 



Style-branches undivided 10 



7. Flowers small. Perianth with a short tube, red or blue. Ovules 2 in 



each ovary-cell. — Species 2. South Africa (Cape Colony). 



Micranthus Pers. 



Flowers large or rather large. Perianth with a long or rather long tube. 



Ovules many in each ovary-cell 8 



8. Perianth-tube straight or nearly so. Filaments short, inserted at the 



throat of the perianth. — Species 40. South and Central Africa. Some 

 have edible tubers or serve as ornamental plants. (Plate 22.) 



Lapeyrousia Pourr. 



Perianth-tube curved. Filaments long, inserted below the throat of the 



perianth 9 



9. Spathes short, scarious. Perianth yellowish, with unequal segments. — 



Species 2. South Africa. Used as ornamental plants. Freesia Klatt 

 Spathes rather long, rigid. Perianth red or white, with almost equal seg- 

 ments.- — ^ Species 15. South Africa, Madagascar, and Mascarenes. Some 

 are used as ornamental plants Watsonia Mill. 



10. (6.) Flowers distinctly irregular. [Tribe GLADIOLEAE.] . . .11 

 Flowers regular or almost so. Filaments and style straight. [Tribe 



IXIEAE.] 18 



11. Perianth curved 12 



Perianth straight 13 



12. Perianth-tube longer than the limb, filiform below, cylindrical above. 



Stamens inserted in the basal part of the tube. Spathes small. — 

 Species 20. South and Central Africa. Some are used as ornamental 

 plants. (Including .4« /sa»//n<s Sweet). . . . . Antholyza L. 

 Perianth-tube as long as or shorter than the limb, funnel-shaped. — ^ Species 

 120. Some of them have edible bulbs, others are used in medicine 

 or as ornamental plants Gladiolus L. 



