508 



PART IV. CLASSIFICATION. 



common Daffodil ; N. (Queltia) Jonquitta, the Jonquil, and 2V. incomparalrilis 

 the Star Daffodil ; 2V. poeticus, the Poet's or Pheasant's Eye Nai-cissus ; 2V. 

 Tazetta, the Cluster Narcissus. 



Fam. 2. Agavoidece : stem not subterranean, short or elongated into a 

 trunk. Here belongs the genus Agave. Agave americana, commonly 

 known as the false or American Aloe, is a native of Mexico but has been 

 naturalised in Southern Europe. The short stem bears a rosette of large 

 thick prickly leaves : when it has attained sufficient vigour in Southern 

 Europe in from 10 to 20 years it throws up a scape 20-30 feet high, which 

 branches arid bears a large number of flowers in a pyramidal panicle. 



The British species of the 

 order are the common Daffo- 

 dil, the Snowdrop, and the 

 Snowflakes. 



Order 2. IRIDACE.E. 

 /v3, C3, 43 + 0, Gjj,. The 



flower is sometimes zygo- 

 morphic : the anthers are 

 extrorse . the fruit is 

 usually a trilocular locu- 

 licidal capsule. 



Fam. 1. CROCOIDE^E : flowers 

 actinomorphic, terminal, 

 single, with sometimes other 

 axillary flowers, each in- 

 vested by a spathe : stem, a 

 corm. 



To this family belong, 

 amongst others, the genera 

 Crocus and Eomulea. Many 

 species of Crocus (e.g. C. 

 aureuSj bifloriis, sjxciosus, ver- 

 nus, etc.) are cultivated ; C. 

 sativus is the Saffron Crocus, 

 the dried stigmata of which 

 are termed Saffron : the only 

 indigenous British species is 

 C. nudiflorus which is autumn- 

 flowering. Romulea (Trichonema) Columnce occurs in the Channel Islands. 

 Fam. 2. IRIDIOIDKJE: flowers mostly actinomorphic, forming many- 

 flowered inflorescences of various form with spathes, each of which invests 

 more than one flower : stem bulbous or rhizomatous. 



Iris, the Flag, is the principal genus. The species of this very large 

 genus may be divided into two groups based upon the bulbous or the 

 rhizomatous character of the stem. The most familiar of the bulbous 

 Irises are, /. xiphioides (or Xiphion latifolium, or Iris anglica) the so-called 



FIG. 319. Diagram of the flower of Iris, and view 

 of the same after the removal of the perianth : s 

 peduncle ;/ inferior ovary ; r tabular portion of the 

 perianth ; pa the insertion of the outer, pi of the 

 inner leaves of the perianth ; st stamen ; a anther ; 

 n n n the three petaloid stigmata (nat. size). 



