366 AMARYLLIDEJ-:. [Lr.ucojrM. 



prostrate in fruit, 2-edged ; tip of spathe entire, green. Fl<i>m-s drooping, 

 buds erect. Sepals J in., ovate, white, tips green. Fruit turbinate. Seeds 

 not caruncled. DISTKIB. Europe from Denmark southwards. 

 2. Ii. ver'num, L. ; leaves and flowers vernal, scape 1-2-flowcrcd. 

 Copses near a farm-house, Bicester ; hedgerows, Bridport, Dorset ; an alien 

 or denizen, Watson; fl. March-April. Much smaller than L. a-ftit->nn : 

 leaves subdistichous ; scape less winged ; spathe 2-fid at the tip ; flowers 

 about as large ; ovaries more globose ; seeds caruncled. DISTRIB. Europe 

 from France southwards and eastwards. 



ORDER V. DIOSCORE^E. 



Rootstock often tuberous. Stem twining to the left, leafy. Leaves 

 alternate, veins reticulate. Flowers inconspicuous, 1 -sexual, in axillary 

 panicles or racemes. Perianth herbaceous, superior in the female flown- ; 

 segments 6, in two series, regular, persistent. Stamens, 6 inserted on the 

 perianth-segments, free ; anthers bursting inwards. Ovary 3-celled ; styles 

 3, short, stigma entire or lobed ; ovules 2, collateral or superposed, ana- 

 tropous. Fruit 3-angled, 3-celled, indehiscent or loculieidally 3-vahv.l, 

 rarely a berry or 1 -celled. Seeds winged, compressed or globose, albuinni 

 dense ; embryo small. DISTRIB. Chiefly trop.; genera 6 ; species about 

 100. AFFINITIES. With Smilacece. PROPERTIES. The acrid and poisonous 

 yam tubers are nutritious when cultivated or boiled. 



1. TAMUS, L. BLACK-BRYONY. 



Perianth campanulate. Stigmas 2-lobed. Berry imperfectly S-ccllcd, 

 few-seeded. Seeds globose. DISTRIB. Europe, Mediterranean ; species 

 1_2. ETYM. Doubtful. 



1. T. commu'nis, L. ; leaves ovate-cordate acuminate. 

 Copses and hedges throughout England ; most abundant in the south ; absent 

 from Ireland ; fl. May-June. Rootstock ovoid, black, fleshy, subterranean. 

 Stem many feet long, very slender, angular, branched. Leaves 23 in., long- 

 petioled, obscurely laterally lobed, 5-7 -nerve, tip setaceous ; stipules re- 

 flexed. Flowers Jin. diam.; males solitary or fascicled on slender racemes 

 which are branched at the base ; female racemes 1 in., shorter, recurved, 

 few-flowered ; bracts minute. Jierry % in., oblong, red. DISTRIB. Europe 

 from Belgium southwards, N. Africa, W. Asia. 



ORDER VI. ALISMACE^E. 



Marsh or aquatic seapigerous herbs. Leaves chiefly radical, base 

 sheathing, erect or floating. Flowers usually 2-sexual, not on a spadix, 

 spathe 0. Perianth inferior, of 6 (rarely 4) segments in 2 series, outer 

 or all herbaceous. Stamens 6-9 or more, hypogynous, filaments free ; 

 anthers oblong. Ovary of 3, 6, or more carpels, Iree or slightly connate ; 

 styles short or 0, stigma terminal simple or feathery ; ovules 1 or more in 

 each cell, anatropous or campylotropous. Fruit of 3 or more indehiscent 

 coriaceous carpels or dehiscent follicles. Seeds 1 or more in each carpel, 

 t.c-sta coriaceous or membranous, albumen ; embryo with a large radicle 



