x i v SYNOPTICAL KEY TO THE ORDERS. 



CLASS TT. MONOCOTYLEDONOUS OR ENDOGENOUS PLANTS. Stems without 

 pith or annular layers, the woody fibres scattered irregularly. Parts of the flower 

 iisually in threes and leaves mostly parallel-veined. Embryo with a single cotyledon. 



A. Ovary inferior : perianth conspicuous, colored : herbaceous perennials. 

 * Aquatic, with regular dicecious flowers in a spathe : embryo distinct, without albumen. 



104. Hydrocharidaceae, p. 129. Flowers axillary, solitary, with tubular perianth. Fruit 



imlehiscent. Leaves opposite or whorlecl, 1 -nerved. 



* * Flowers perfect, irregular : seeds numerous, minute, with obscure embryo and no albumen. 



105. Orchidaceae, p. 130. Stamens and style coherent. Anthers 1 or 2. Capsule 1-celled, 



with 3 parietal placentae. Leaves alternate. 



* * * Flowers perfect, regular : embryo distinct, with albumen : capsule 3-celled. 



106. Iridaceae, p. 138. Stamens 3, at the base of the perianth. Flowers spathaeeous. Leaves 



equitaut. 



107. Amaryllidaceae, p. 141. Stamens 6, on the perianth-tube. Leaves not equitant. 



B. Ovary superior or nearly so : perianth regular or none. 



* Carpels united into a compound ovary : perianth colored (outer series rarely herbaceous) : albu- 



men present. 



108. Liliaceae, p. 143. Stems from bulbs, corms or rhizomes : anthers 2-celled : fruit a 3-celled 



capsule (1-celled in Scoliopics) or a berry. 



109. Smilaceae, p. 186. Woody climber with tendrils. Flowers dicecious, small, 6-parted. 



Anthers 1-celled. Fruit a berry. 



110. Pontederiaceae, p. 186. Herbaceous aquatic, with spathaeeous tubular flowers. Ours 



with grass-like leaves, solitary axillary flowers, and 1-celled 3-valved capsule. 



111. Araceae, p. 187. Flowers crowded upon a spadix. Ours acaulescent, with 4-lobed peri- 



anth, 4 stamens, and 2-celled 2-ovuled ovaries fleshy and coalescent in fruit. 



* * Aquatics : ovary 1-celled, utricular or nut-like in fruit : perianth none : seed albuminous. 



112. Typhaceae, p. 188. Flowers monoecious, in heads or crowded on a spadix. Stems solid, 



terete, with linear leaves, from creeping rootstocks. 



113. Lemnaceae, p. 189. Very small floating stemless plants, with disk-like fronds. 



* * * Aquatic or marsh plants : carpels distinct or separable (sometimes single) : perianth 



herbaceous or petaloid or none : albumen none. 



114. Naiadaceee, p. 190. Carpels few (1 to 6). Perianth of fertile flowers of 4 to 6 herbaceous 



valvate sepals or none. 



115. Alismaceas, p. 199. Carpels numerous, verticillate or capitate. Perianth-segments 6, 



distinct, 3 herbaceous, 3 petaloid. 



* * * * Perianth of 6 equal persistent glumaceous segments : fruit a capsule. 



116. Juncaceae, p. 201. Capsule loculicidally 3-valved. Seed albuminous. Rushes or sedge- 



like, with perfect flowers. 



* * * * * Perianth of 6 herbaceous segments in two dissimilar series. Fruit a 1 -seeded drupe 



or berry. 



117. Palmae, p. 210. Flowers on a branching spadix, usually spathaeeous. Carpels 3, distinct 



or coherent. Seeds large, albuminous. Trees, with fan-shaped or pinnate leaves. 



****** Flowers in the axils of scales or glumes, without evident perianth, in spikes : 

 stamens 1 to 3 : ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled: seed albuminous. Sedges and grasses. 



118. Cyperaceae, p. 212. Scales single. Perianth none or replaced by bristles. Stamens basi- 



fixed. Fruit a triangular or lenticular akene. Stem solid, often triangular, with closed 

 sheaths. 



119. Graminese, p. 253. Glumes in pairs. Perianth replaced by minute scales. Anthers ver- 



satile. Fruit a caryopMs. Culm hollow, terete ; sheaths split to the base. 



