T am us . ] DIOSCOREjE. 4 1 



rarely a berry or 1 -celled. Seeds winged, compressed or globose, albumen 

 dense ; embryo small. — Distrib. Chiefly trop. ; genera 6 ; species about 

 100. — Affinities. With Smi lacece. — Properties. The acrid yam tubers 

 are nutritious when cultivated or boiled. 



l. TAMUS, L. Black Bryony. 



Perianth cainpanulate. Stigmas 2-lobed. Berry imperfectly 3-celled, 

 few-seeded. Seeds globose. — Distrib. Europe, Mediterranean ; species 

 2.— Etym. doubtful. 



T. communis, L. ; leaves ovate-cordate acuminate. 

 Copses and hedges from Cumberland southd. ; Channel Islands; fl. May- 

 ' June. — Rootstock ovoid, black, fleshy, subterranean. Stem many feet long, 



very slender, angular, branched. Leaves 2-3 in., long-petioled, obscurely 



laterally lobed, 5-7-nerved, tip setaceous ; stipules reflexed. Flowers £ in. 



diam. ; males solitary or fascicled in slender racemes which are branched at 



the base ; female racemes 1 in., shorter, recurved, few-fld. ; bracts minute. 



Berry | in., oblong, red. — Distrib. From Belgium southd., N. Africa, 



W.Asia. 



Order LXXX. lilia'ce^:. 



Root fibrous ; rootstock bulbous or creeping. Stem rarely shrubby 

 or arborescent. Flowers 2- rarely 1-sexual. Perianth herbaceous, peta- 

 loid, inferior ; segments 6 in 2 series, rarely 4, 8, or 10, free or connate, 

 imbricate (rarely valvate) in bud. Stamens 6 (3 in Ruscus) hypogynous 

 or inserted on the perianth, filaments long or short ; anthers oblong or 

 linear. Ovary 3-celled ; styles 1 or 3, rarely 0, stigma simple or 3-lobed ; 

 ovules 2 or more in the inner angle of each cell, anatropous. Fruit a 

 3- rarely 1-2-celled capsule or berry. Seeds 1 or more in each cell, 

 albumen horny or fleshy; embryo small, terete, radicle next to or far 

 from the hilum. — Distrib. All climates ; genera 187 ; species about 

 2, 500. — Affinities. With Juncece. — Properties various. 



Series A. Rootstock not bulbous. A nthers bursting inwards. Fruit a berry. 



Tribe I. ASPARAGE-ffi. Stem, rigid, branched or climbing. Leaves 

 minute, scale-like, with leaf-like branchlets (cladodes) in their axils. 

 Ovules orthotropous or hemi-anatropous. 



Flowers on the cladodes dioecious. Stamens 3, filaments connate. ..1. Ruscus. 



Flowers axillary. Stamens 6, filaments distinct 2. Asparagus. 



Tribe II. POLYGON ATEiE. Stem herbaceous, leafy. Flowers axillary or 

 terminal. Ovules anatropous. 



Flowers axillary; perianth tubular 6-cleft 3. Polygonatum. 



Flowers in terminal racemes ; perianth-segments 4 4. Maianthemum. 



D D 



