204 



MONOCOTYLEDONS IRIDE.E DIAGRAM 17. 



The African Aloe yields a resin used in medicine as a purgative. 

 Its leaves are very large, and yield a textile substance composed of 

 very coarse, but very strong fibre ; ropes and cordage are made of 

 it. Beautiful hammocks are made also by the natives of Tropical 

 America with the fibres of several species found in that country. 



The leek, garlic, onion, and shalot have flowers arranged in an 

 umbel, as in the Umbelliferse, but the stalk is only divided once. 

 The flower, as in the lily, has six divisions and six stamens. In 

 all these plants it is either the bulb or else the base of the leaves 

 which is used for flavouring. 



The name of the family Liliaccse is derived from the Latin name 

 of the lily. 



FAMILY 



The Iridece include odoriferous flowers, like the flag and the 

 saffron. Like the Liliacege, the flowers of this small family have 

 a beautiful corolla, usually termed a perianth, and no calyx. They 

 have six divisions ; three outer and three inner. 

 There are only three stamens. In the Flag, they 

 are hidden by the pistil, and terminated by three 

 very large divisions which at first appear like 

 petals. One important difference between the 

 iridese and the liliaccsB is that the flower of the 

 former is inserted on the ovary, instead of being 

 inserted below it. 



The pistils of the Saffron flower are gathered 

 to make the well-known dye. They are also 

 used in confectionery, and are thought to im- 

 prove the health of caged birds when put into 

 their drinking water. They are dried and 

 powdered before being used. They have a very penetrating odour, 



Saffron. 



