76 



DEACAENACEAE. 



cultural race of Pleomele fragrans (L.) N. E. Brown, with recurved, whitish- 

 banded leaves, is one of the most ornamental. 



Family 6. AMARYLLIDACEAE Lindl. 



Amaryllis Family. 



Perennial herbs (some tropical species woody or even arboreous), with 

 bulbs or rootstocks, scapose or sometimes leafy stems and usually narrow 

 and entire leaves. Flowers perfect, regular or nearly so. Perianth 6- 

 parted or 6-lobed, the segments or lobes distinct, or united below into a tube 

 which is adnate to the surface of the ovary. Stamens usually 6, inserted 

 on the bases of the perianth-segments or in the throat of the perianth op- 

 posite the lobes. Anthers versatile or basifixed, 2-cellecl, the sacs usually 

 longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary wholly or partly inferior, usually 3-celled. 

 Style filiform, entire, lobed, or cleft into 3 stigmas at the summit. Ovules 

 usually numerous, rarely only 1 or 2 in each cavity of the ovary, ana- 

 tropous. Fruit capsular, rarely fleshy. Seeds mostly black, the embryo 

 small, enclosed in fleshy endosperm. About 70 genera and 800 species, 

 principally natives of tropical and warm regions, some in the temperate 

 zones. 



Perianth-tube with a crown. 

 Perianth without a crown. 



Filaments united below by a thin membrane. 

 Ovules many ; capsule 3-valved. 

 Ovules only 2 in each cavity. 

 Filaments not united by a membrane. 



Low bulbous plants with grasslike leaves. 

 Large plants with great tufts of fleshy leaves. 



1. yarcissi(s. 



2. Pancratium. 



3. Hymenocallis. 



4. Atamosco. 



5. Furcraea. 



1. NARCISSUS L. 

 Bulbous plants with narrow entire leaves 

 and umbelled or solitary yellow or white large 

 flowers. Perianth-tube cylindric, its lobes 

 spreading or reflexed, its crown tubular to cup- 

 shaped ; stamens 6 ; anthers linear to oblong. 

 Ovary 3-celled; style slender or filiform; 

 stigma 3-lobed. Capsule loculicidally 3-valved. 

 Seeds black, numerous. [Greek, referring to 

 narcotic properties.] About 20 species, mostly 

 of the Mediterranean region. Type species: 

 Narcissus poeticus L. 



1. Narcissus Tazetta L. Narcissus. 

 (Fig. 100.) Bulbs l'-2' in diameter; leaves 

 linear, nearly or quite as long as the scape, 

 pale, glaucescent, 5"-8" wide. Scape flattened ; 

 umbel several-flowered, the slender pedicels 

 unequal ; bract membranous ; perianth-tube 

 about 9" long, the limb white or yellow, about 

 IV broad, the crown saucer-shaped, yellow\ 



Hillsides and fields. Escaped from cultiva- 

 tion and naturalized. Native of southern Europe 

 and central Asia. Flowers in spring. Consists 

 of manv races. 



