PLAiq^TS OF BERMUDA. 89 



thrives well and bears heavy bunches of choice fruit, probably owing 

 to the trees being more easily sheltered from the severe gales which 

 sweep over the Islands and blow the exposed, parallel -veined leaves 

 of taller varieties to shreds. The common Banana {Musa sapientmn)^ 

 the red Banana {M. rosacea)^ Fig Banana {M. spicatum), and the 

 Plantain {Jf. paradisiaca) , are also cultivated, but the bunches are 

 usually only half filled with small fruit. 



Ifat : Ord : 74. Iridacect. 



Herbaceous plants ; leaves closely compressed at the sheathing 

 base in two opposite ranks, usually sword-shaped ; perianth supe- 

 rior, six-parted, in two whorls ; stamens three ; stigmas three, 

 sometimes petal -like ; capsule three-celled, many-seeded. 



The purple Iris {Iris Germanica), with large purple flowers, and a 

 Cape bulb {Antholyza ^thiopica), which bears a tall raceme of two- 

 lipped, orange -coloured flowers, are very frequently seen in gardens. 

 The G-ladiolus or Corn-flag is more rarely met Avith. 



I. SISYRINCHIUM. 



Herbs ivith Jibrotis roots, grass-like leaves, and united stamens. 



1. S. Bermudianum (Bermuda Iris). Leaves six to ten inches long 

 and quarter-inch wide, sword-shaped; flowering stem eight inches 

 to a foot liigh, erect, winged, branched and jointed above, bearing 

 compressed leafy bracts at each division ; flowers in clusters of three 

 to six, on slender stalks, arising from a pair of unequal spathe-like 

 bracts ; lobes of perianth flat, oblong, bearing a miiuite point at 

 the broad, blunt apex, three outer (sepals) rather broader ; stamens 

 forming a slender tube around the style ; capsule globose. Distri- 

 bution, United States and Canada; habitat, waste places, barren 

 hills and islets, very common, indigenous. Flowers half an inch in 

 diameter, purplish with yellow centre ; April and May. 



Nat : Ord : 75. Graminacece. 



Grasses, sometimes rising to a considerable height ; stems hollow, 

 between the solid, j ointed nodes ; leaves alternate, sheathing at the 

 base, sheath -split usually bearing a membranous ligule at its junc- 

 tion vnth the blade ; flowers arranged in little spikelets, consisting 

 of one or more alternate florets, enclosed by scaly bracts ; two outer 

 bracts at base of spikelet are called glumes ; each separate floret 

 consists of an unequal pair of bracts called pale* and two or three 

 minute scales arising from the base of ovary ; stamens two or three, 

 hypogynous, anthers attached by thnir centre ; Rt7le3 tvro ; fruit a 

 seed-like grain. 



The flowers of grasses are usually so minute that a pocket-lens is 

 necessary to properly examine their construction. 



The most useful member of the order is the Indian Corn {Zea 

 Mays), which has been largely cultivated ever since the Islands were 

 tirst settled, during the summer months, both for fodder and for 

 the sake of the green ears of corn, which are used as a vegetable. 



