292 APETALOUS ORDERS. 



ma/rsh plants. Leaves sheathing, parallel-veined. Flowers 

 solitary, or spicate, spathaceous. Periantli 6-cleft, tubular, 

 colored, circinate in aestivation. Stamens 3 or 6, perigynous ; 

 anthers introrse. Ovary free, 3-celled ; ovules numerous. 

 Fruit a capsule. Seeds indefinite, attached to a central axis ; 

 embi'yo in the axis of mealy albumen. 



Geneka. — Heteranthcra, Pontederia, Scbollera, 



553. Melanthaceje, tlie ColcMcram Tribe. — Btdhous^ tuleroiis^ 

 or Jihrons-rootcd plants. Leaves sheathing, parallel-veined. 

 Perianth petaloid, in 6 pieces, distinct, or united in a tube. 

 Stamens 6; anthers extrorse. Ovary free, 3-celled; ovides 

 numerous. Fruit a 3-celled capsule. Seecls with a membra- 

 neous testa ; enJjryo in dense fleshy albumen. This order is 

 subdivided into : 1, Yeratrre or Melanthea;, dehiscence of cap- 

 sule septicidal ; rhizome fibrous ; 2, Uvulariege, dehiscence of 

 capsule loculicidal ; rhizome bulbous or fibrous ; 3 Colchiceee, 

 dehiscence septicidal ; rhizome bulbous. 



a. Properties : generally poisonous ; many sjoecies are acrid, purgative, and emet- 

 ic, and some are narcotic. 



Genera. — 1. Melanthe.e — Tofieldia, Pleea, Xerophyllum, Helonias, Veratrum, 

 Melanthium. 2. Uvulare.e — Uvularia, Streptopus. 3. Colchice^ — Colcbicum. 



554. Juxcace.'E, the Rush Tribe. — Herbaceous plants, with 

 fascicled or fibrous roots. Leaves hollow, grooved, or flat, with 

 parallel veins. Flov^ers small, glumaceous ; in clusters, cymes, 

 or heads. Perianth 6-parted, in 2 series, generally green or 

 brown. Stamens 6, inserted into the base of the segments, or 

 3 and opposite the external segments. Ovary 1 or 3 celled. 

 Fruit capsular, 3-valved. Seeds few or many ; embryo minute 

 in fleshy albumen. (See Plate YIII., Fig. 7.) 



Genera. — Luzula, Juncus, Narthecium, Zigadenus. 



555. Commelynacejb), the Spiderwort Tribe. — Herbaceous 

 plants. Leaves flat, narrow, usually sheathing at the base. 

 Perianth in 2 verticils, outer 3-parted, herbaceous ; inner peta- 

 loid, 3-parted, sometimes cohering at the base. Stamens 

 usually 6 ; anthers 2-celled, introrse. Ovary 2 or 3 celled ; 

 style 1 ; stigma 1. Fruit a capsule. Seeds often in pairs ; em- 

 bryo small, pulley-shaped, in a cavity of fleshy albumen. 



a. Properties: mucilaginous. 

 Genera. — Commelyna, Tradescantia. 



556. Xyridace^, the Xyris Tribe. — LLerbaceous^ sedgy plants 

 with fibrous roots. Leaves radical, ensiform or filiform, sheath- 

 ing at the base. Flowers in terminal, imbricated, scaly heads. 

 Perianth 6-parted, in two whorls, the outer (ccdyx) glumaceous, 

 the inner {corolla) petaloid. Stamens 6, inserted on the corolla, 

 three of them bearing extrorse anthers, the others mere sterile 



