ANGIOSPERM^E 



391 



Fam. 3. Amaryllidaceae. The Amaryllidacese differ from the Liliaceae in 

 having an inferior ovary, and sometimes zygomorphic flowers. Very few of 

 these grow within our territory. The 

 Agaves (Century -plant), and Zephyr- 

 anthes (" Atamasco-lily "), and 

 Hyinenocallis (Pancratium) are the 

 most important. A number of com- 

 mon garden flowers Galanthus, 

 Narcissus, Amaryllis belong to this 

 family. 



Fam. 4. Iridacese. The Iridaceae 

 have epigynous flowers, like the 

 Amaryllidacese, from which they dif- 

 fer in having the stamens reduced 

 to three. Some have actinomorphic 

 flowers, with the segments all alike 

 (Sisyrinchium, Ixia), or the inner 

 segments (petals) may be different 

 from the outer ones, as in Iris (Fig. 

 369) and Tigridia. In many others 

 (Gladiolus, Freesia) the flowers are 

 markedly zygomorphic. 



The Iridacete are especially abun- 

 dant in the Cape region of Africa, 

 whence many beautiful forms have 

 been introduced into cultivation. Gladiolus, Ixia, Freesia, Sparaxis, are among 

 the most striking of these. 



The leaves of most Iridacese are sharply folded longitudinally, and the leafy 

 shoots with their two-ranked leaves are thus strongly flattened. Such leaves are 

 termed " Equitant." 



Fam. 5. Dioscoreaceae. The Dioscoreacese, or Yam family, include a num- 



FIG. 365. Lemna trisulca. Plant, show- 

 ing method of branching. B-D,L. minor. 

 Two plants (X 8) ; r, root; fl, flowers. 



C, staminate flower, much enlarged. 



D, section of female flower. 



FIG. 366. A, B, Brodisea capitata. A, inflorescence (X 1). B, flower opened to 

 show arrangement of parts. C, flower of B. laxa. 



ber of twining, mostly tropical, plants, with heart-shaped, reticulate-veined 

 leaves, and inconspicuous, mostly diclinous flowers, the pistillate flowers with 



