GROUPS AND ORDERS. 27 



40. Taxaceous plants— trees or shrubs, with linear persistent 



leaves ; ovules solitary, seated in a succulent cup. 



ENDOGENOUS PLANTS or MONOCOTYLEDONS. 



Leaves with parallel veins. Flowers usually ternary — the 

 parts in threes. Embryos with one cotyledon ; hence mono- 

 cotyledonous. This group includes the Orders numbered from 

 41 to 48. 



* Mowers imperfect, naked i.e. toithout either perianth or 

 glumes, or consisting of scales. 



41. Araceous plants — herbs ; inflorescence spathaceous i. e. 



emerging from a spathe ; flowers unisexual. 



** Flowers perfect, with a petal-like whorled perianth. 

 t Ovary inferior. 



42. Iridaceous plants — herbs ; perianth six-leaved ; stamens 



three, distinct. 



43. Amaryllidaceous plants — herbs; perianth six-leaved; sta- 



mens six, distinct. 



44. Orchidaceous plants — herbs ; perianth six-leaved irregular ; 



stamens gynandrous {i.e. combined with the style). 



tt Ovary superior. 



45. Liliaceous plants — herbs; perianth six-leaved (sometimes 



combined) regular. 



*** Flowers perfect, with a dry calyx-like whorled perianth . 



46. Juncaceous plants — herbs ; perianth regular, six-leaved, 



brown. 



**** Flowers glumaceous, i.e. formed of imbricated chaffy 

 scales or glumes. 



47. Cyperaceous plants — herbs; leaves with entire sheaths; 



bracts one to each flower. 



48. Graminaceous plants — herbs ; leaves with sheaths split on 



the side opposite the blades ; bracts two to each flower. 



