316 MONOCOTYLEDOXES. 



flowers. Polygamous. P..USCUS (Butcher's broom) is a S. European shrub 

 with leaf-like, ovoid or elliptical shoots (phylloclades) which are borne in the 

 axils of scale-like leaves, and bear flowers on the central line. Dioecious. 

 Stamens 3, united, anthers extrorse. Semele androgyna bears its flowers on 

 the edge of the flat shoot. 



C. SMILACE.ZE. Smilax (Sarsaparilla) (Fig. 308) ; climbing 

 shrubs with the leaf-sheath produced into tendrils. The leaves 

 have 3-5 strong nerves proceeding from the base, and are reticulate. 

 Orthotropous or semi-anatropous ovules. Dioecious (Fig. 308 C,E). 



D. DKACJENE.E. Fruit in some a berry, in others a capsule. The stem of 

 DRACJENA, when old, has the appearance of being dichotomously branched ; it 

 has the power of increase in thickness, and may become enormously thick. The 

 Dragon-tree of Teneriffe, measured by Humboldt, attained a circumference of 

 14 m. and a height of 22 m. ; the leaves are large, linear or linear-lanceolate. 

 Cordyline (East Asia), various species in gardens and greenhouses (Yucca is 

 closely allied). Astelia. 



POLLINATION. Paris quadrifolia and Convallaria majalis have no honey, 

 and are chiefly visited by pollen-collecting bees (in the absence of insect visits 

 self-pollination takes place) ; Polygonatum multiflomm has honey secreted by 

 septal glands and protected by the base of the tubular perianth ; it is pollinated 

 by humble-bees, etc. Asparagus officinalis has small, polygamous, greenish, 

 honey-bearing flowers ; the $ -flower is almost twice as large as the 9 ; both 

 have rudiments of the opposite sex. 



About 555 species ; especially from N. America, Europe, and Central Asia. 



OFFICINAL : " Dragons' -blood," a red resinous juice from the stem of 

 Draccena, and the roots of some Central American species of Smilax. The 

 tuberous stems of the Eastern Asiatic Smilax glabra are officinal. The flowers 

 of Conrallaria majalis have been lately used as a substitute for Digitalis. 

 Pungent, poisonous properties are possessed by Paris. None of the species are 

 used as food, except the young annual shoots of Asparagus officinalis, a shore- 

 plant which is used as a vegetable. 



Order 4. Pontederiaceae. Flowers generally zygomorphic, hypogynous, $ , 

 with handsome, white or violet, petaloid perianth which forms a tube at its base. 

 The stamens are inserted at different heights in the perianth-tube, and are re- 

 duced to three (in Heteranthera seldom to one). In some the ovary is trilocular 

 with oo ovules (Eichhornia), in others reduced to one loculus with one ovule 

 (Pontederia). Fruit a capsule or nut. Embryo as long as the abundant, mealy 

 endosperm. Tropical water-plants (22 species) with peculiar sympodial branch- 

 ing, nearly the same as in Zostera. Spikes without floral-leaves. Many inter- 

 cellular spaces in the stem and leaf. In greenhouses: Eichhornia azurea, E. 

 crassipes (both from tropical and sub-tropical S. America) ; the latter has 

 swollen petioles which serve as floats and enable it to float freely on the water, 

 sending down its roots into the mud. Heteranthera reniformis, H. zosterifolia. 

 Pontederia cordata. 



Order 5. Amaryllidacese (Narcissi). The flower is epi- 

 gynous, otherwise exactly the same as in the Liliacea? (6 stamens). 



