CXXXVI. IRIDE^ (baker). 



337 



Order CXXXVI. IRIDEJE. (By J. G. Baker.) 



Flowers hermaphrodite, regular or irregular. Perianth corolline, 

 with or without a tube above the ovary ; segments biseriate, all alike or 

 those of the inner row different from those of the outer, or the three 

 lower from the three upper. Stamens 3, inserted opposite the segments 

 of the outer row, divergent or unilateral ; filaments free, or more or 

 less united ; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed, with longitudinal extrorse 

 or lateral dehiscence. Ovary inferior, 3 -celled ; ovules anatropous, few 

 or many in a cell, superposed ; style filiform^ usually 3-furcate ; branches 

 simple or forked, very various in structure. Fruit a capsule with 

 loculicidal dehiscence. Seeds globose or flattened ; testa membranous ; 

 embryo small, placed in the middle of the horny albumen near the 

 hilum. — Root fibrous. Rootstock a rhizome or tunicated corm. 

 Leaves often but not invariably distichous and concentrated at the 

 base of the stem. Flowers one or several to a spathe, various in colour, 

 often fugitive. 



Species about 700, concentrated in South Africa, spread also principally through 

 the temperate and snbtemperate zones of both hemispheres. 



Teibe I. XlXorseeae. — Stamens placed opposite the style-branches. Flowers 

 usually more than one to a spathe. 



Style-branches furnished with 2 petaloid crests with a 

 transverse stigma at their base. 

 Peduncle terete. Inner segments of the perianth not 



convolute . . . . . . .1. Moe^a. 



Peduncle flat. Inner segments of the perianth con- 

 volute 2. Marioa. 



Stigma terminal on the laciniated style-branches . . 3. Ferraeia. 



Tribe II. Sisyrinchleee. — Stamens alternate with the style-branches. Flowers 

 not spicate. 



Spathcs l-flowered 4. Romulea. 



Spathes many-flowered 5. Aeistea. 



Teibe III. Zxlese. — Stamens alternate with the style-branches. Flowers 

 spicate, ahvays solitary in the spathes. 



Stamens divergent, equilateral. 



Spathe-valves herbaceous, green . . . .6. Hesperaxtha. 



Spathe-valves membranous . . . . .7. Diekama. 



Stamens contiguous, unilateral, arcuate. 



Style-branches bifid 



Style-branches simple. 

 Spathes short. 



Capsule few-seeded, inflated 

 Capsule many-seeded, not inflated 

 Spathes long. 



Perianth segments subequal 

 Perianth segments unequal. 



Perianth-tube funnel-shaped .... 12. Gladiolus. 

 Perianth-tube suddenly dilated at the middle . 13. Antholyza. 



VOL. VII. 



8. Lapeyeousia. 



9. Crocosmia. 



10. Teitonia. 



11. acida>-thera. 



