314 MONOCOTYLEDOXES. 



The woody species are tropical. The majority of the introduced Liliaceae 

 (b'ritlUaria imperialis, Crown-imperial; Lilium candidum; Tulipa gesneriana; 

 Hyacinth ; J/uscari-species ; Scilla-species ; Ornithogalum nutans ; Hemerocallis 

 Julva an&flava ; Asphodelus luteus and albus) come from the Mediterranean and 

 W. Asia ; Funckia from China and Japan ; several Lilies from Japan and the 

 Himalayas ; Agapanthun from the Cape ; Allium sativum is a native of the 

 Kerghis -Steppes ; A. cepa from Persia (?) ; A. ascalonicum is not known 

 wild (according to others a native of Asia Minor), perhaps a form of A. cepa ; 

 A. schcenoprasum from the N. temp, region. 



Many bulbs have pungent properties ; many Onions are used as culinary plants 

 The bast fibres of Phormium tenax (New Zealand Flax) are used technically. 

 Dyes are obtained from the Aloe ; gum for varnish from the stem of Xanthorrlicea 

 li'ixtile and australe. OFFICINAL ; "Aloes," the dried sap of S. African species 

 of Aloe (A. Africana, A.ferox, etc.) ; the bulb known as "Squills" from Urginea 

 (Scilla) maritima (Mediterranean). 



Order 3. Convallariaceae. This order differs from the 

 Liliaceae in having the fruit a berry (Fig. 308) and in never being 

 bulbous ; the seeds are less numerous. 



A. CONVALLARIEJE, LlLY OF THE VALLEY GROUP. Rhizome (Fig. 



507) and normal foliage-leaves. Polygonatum : rhizome creeping ; 



aerial shoot leafy, bearing the 

 flowers in racemes in the axils of 

 the foliage-leaves ; perianth tubu- 

 lar. P. multfylornm (Solomon's 

 seal), P. officinale, etc. Majanthe- 

 mum : flower 2-merous ; perianth 

 almost polyphyllous, spreading. 

 Smilacina, Streptopus (S. amplexi- 

 FIG. 307. Rhizome- of Polygonatum folius ; the flowers or inflorescence 



muitiflorum : a bud ; b shoot ; c d scars un it e with the entire succeeding 



left by shoots of previous years. 



internode). Convallaria (1 species 



C. majalis, Lily of the valley) ; flowers in terminal racemes ; 2 basal 

 foliage-leaves ; perianth globose, bell-shaped. lleineckea carnea 

 (Japan, China) in gardens. Paris (P. quadrifolia, Herb- Paris) ; 

 flowers solitary, terminal, 4-merous, polyphyllous ; styles 4, free 

 (approaching the Colchicacese ; it is also poisonous) ; a whorl of 

 4 (-more) 3-nerved, reticulate leaves on each shoot. Ornamental 

 plants : species of Trillium, Aspidistra elatior (Japan). 



B. ASPARAGEJ;, ASPARAGUS GROUP. Scale-like leaves and green 

 assimilating branches. Asparagus : horizontal rhizome. The aerial 

 shoots are very richly branched ; the numerous needle-like bodies 

 upon the plant are leafless shoots, which are crowded together in 

 double scorpioid cymes in the axils of the scale-leaves ; the two first 



