NATURAL ORDERS. 



201 



distinct. Fruit a 3-wingecl capsule, compressed. Seeds con 

 pressed ; cmh^yo small ; albumen cartilaginous. 



a. Properties : acrid. Yams, the tubers of the various species of Dioscorea, arf 

 an important article of food in warm countries. 

 G ENTs. — Dioscor ea. 



549. Smilaceje, the Smilax Trihe. — Herbs or under shrubs^ 

 often climbing. Leaves reticulate-veined. Flowers perfect or 

 dioecious. Perianth 6-parted, free. Stamens 6, inserted into 

 the base of the perianth. Onary 3-celled ; cells 1 or many- 

 seeded ; style usually trifid ; stigmas 3. Fruit a berry^, few or 

 many seeded ; emhryo small ; albumen cartilaginous. 



«. Properties: mucilaginous, demulcent. 

 Genus. — Smilax. 



550. Trilliace^, the Trillium Tribe. — Herbs with simple 

 stems. Leaves verticillate. Flowers large, terminal, solitary. 

 Sepcds 3, herbaceous. Petals 3, colored or herbaceous ; some- 

 times a fourth is added to their parts. Stamens 6, 8, or 10; 

 filaments subulate ; anthers linear, with a prolonged connec- 

 tive. Ovary free, 3-5-celled, styles as many, distinct. Fruit 

 succulent. Seeds indefinite ; embryo minute in fleshy albumen. 



a. Properties : acrid, narcotic. 

 Genera. — Trillium, Medeola. 



551. LiLiACE^, the Lily Tribe. — Herbs.^ shrubs., or trees., with 

 bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, or fibrous roots. Stems simj^le, without, 

 branches. Leaves usually narrow with parallel veins, sheath 

 ing or clasping at the base. Flowers regular, perfect. Peri- 

 anth colored, mostly of 6 parts, in 2 rows. Stamens 6, usually 

 alternate with the segments of the perianth, into which they 

 are inserted; anthers introrse. Ovary free, 3-celled. Fruit 

 succulent, or dry and capsular. Seeds 



numerous, packed one above the other Fig. 213. 



in 1 or 2 rows ; embryo in the axis of 

 fleshy albumen. (See Plate II., Fi";. 1, 

 and Plate I., Fig. 3.) 



a. Properties : acrid and sometimes bitter. The bulbs 

 abound in starchy or mucilaginous matter. Some are 

 edible when cooked. 



Genera. — 1, Tulipe^ — Erythronium, Tuhpa, Calo- 

 chontus, FritiUaria, Lilium. 2. IIemerocalle^ — Heme- 

 rocallis. 3. Aloine.e — Aloe, Yucca. 4. Scille^ — AlU- 

 um, Scilla, Nolina, Brodiaea, Ornithogalum, Hyacintlms. 



5. Antheric/E — Phalangium, Asphodelus, Lophiola. 



6. AsPARAGEiE — Asparagus, Draccena, Convallaria. 

 Fig. 213, a, Erythronium americanum : h, a sepa- 

 rate petal ; c, an internal and external segment of the 

 perianth with a stamen and pistil. 



552. PoNTEDERLACE^, the Pontederia Tribe. — Aquatic 05 



