Iridaceae 29 



on axile placentaef. Styles 3, often divided and leaf- 

 like. Capsule loculicidal with globose or angular seeds. 



Subfamily i. Crocoideae. Small herbs often with 

 underground flower stalks. Flowers solitary, or several 

 axillary around a terminal flower. 



Scape short. Perianth tube short. Romulea. 



Scape o. Perianth tube long. ©Crocus. 



Subfamily 2. Iridoideae. Stem distinct. Leaves 

 equitant. Flowers several in each spathe. 



Tribe i. Moraeeae. Perianth tube short or absent. 

 Stigmas on underside of leaf-like style-arms. Capsule 

 not enclosed in spathe. 



Only British genus : Iris. 



Tribe 2. SisyrincJiieae. As above, but style-arms 

 mostly terete. 



Only British genus : GSisyrinchium. 



Subfamily 3. Ixioideae. As Iridoideae, but only 

 one flower enclosed in each spathe. 



Tribe Gladioleae. Floivers strongly zygomorphic, 

 often curved. 



Only British genus : Gladiolus. 



b. Floivers homochlamydeous to heterochlamydeous 

 but in the first case the perianth is petaloid. Epigyny 

 throughout. Zygomorphy dominant. (For a see page 23.) 



Order 7. Microspermae. Flowers cyclic, homo- 

 or heterochlamydeous, 3-merous, typically diplostemo- 

 nous but androecium often shows marked reduction. 



t The Mediterranean genus Hermodactylus has a i-Ioc ovary 

 with parietal placentae. In all other respects this monotypic genus 

 is very near to Iris. 



