12 



X X Flowers usually hermaphrodite and often gaily coloured. 

 t All the 6 perianth- segments petaloid. 



Liliaceae. Perianth of 6 segments, all the segments petaloid, regular. 

 Stamens G ; anthers turned inwards. Styles consolidated. Ovary 

 3-celled. Albumen flesliy, Rarely trees or slirubs, usually tuberous or 

 simply-rooted herbs with parallel-veined leaves. 



Melantluiceae. Perianth of 6 segments, all the segments petaloid, regular. 

 Stamens 6 ; anthers turned outwards. Ovary 3-celled. Albumen 

 fleshy. Bulboxis, tuberous or fibrous rooted plants with parallel-veined 

 leaves. Flowers scapous, in racemes or spikes. 



Pontederaceac. Perianth more or less irregular, of 6 petaloid segments, 

 the latter eircinuate when withering. Stamens 6, or 3 aborted, the 

 antliers turned inwards. Ovary 3-celled. Albumen mealy. Aquatic 

 or marsh-plants with parallel-veined leaves. Flowers in spikes or 

 umbels, rarely solitary. 



t t Onhj the 2 or 3 inner perianth-segments more or less petaloid, 

 tlie outer 3 sepal-like or ghtmaceous, or rarely toanting. 

 Commelynaceae. Flowers almost regular, often blue. Sepals 3. Petals 3. Stamens 6, 3 



of tliem often reduced to staminods. Ovary 3-rarely 2-celled. Albumen flesliy. 



Embryo on the edge of the albumen. Herbs or perennials, rarely trailing, the 



parallel-veined leaves usually sheathing at base. 

 Xyrideae. Flowers regular, usually yellow, in scaly heads. Sepals irregular, 3 or 



4, glumaeeous. Petals 3, united at base in a gamopetalous corolla. Fertile stamens 3. 



Ovary 1 -celled, with parietal placentas. Embryo on the outside of the fleshy 



albumen. Sedge-like fibrous-rooted plants with narrow radical leaves. 



Juncacene. Flowers regular, hermaphrodite. Perianth 6-leaved, scarious or calyx-lik6. 

 Stamens 6, rarely 3. Ovary 1- or 3-celled, the cells 1- or several ovuled. Fruit 

 capsular. Albumen fleshy or cartilagineous. Embryo minute, immersed. Sedgy 

 perennials or annuals, with fistulose or narrow parallelly nerved leaves. Flowers 

 often in corymbs or heads. 



Bestiaceae. Flowers regular, usually unisexual, often in bracted or scaly heads. 

 Perianth consisting of 6 to 2 glumaeeous or hyaline segments or the inner 3 ones 

 united in a 3-toothed cup or tube. Ovary 1-3-celled ; ovules solitary, pendulous. 

 Aquatic or marsh plants with setaceous or Unear parallel-veined leaves. 



A A Flotcers sessile, uifliin imbricated glumes. Perianth rudimentary or none. Ovary 

 always 1-celled icith a single erect or nearly erect ovule. 



Cyperaceac. Perianth none, or consisting of bristles or minute scales. Anthers basifix. 

 Embryo at the base of the albumen. Grass- or rush-like herbs or perennials, with 

 narrow parallel-nerved leaves. Culms not truly jointed.* Sheaths entire. Each 

 flower usually in the axil of one glume, without a palea. 



Gramineae. Perianth none, or of 1-3 minute scales. Anthers versatile. Embryo at the 

 side of the base of the mealy albumen. Annual or perennial grasses, rarely (in bam- 

 boos) soboliferous trees or shrubs, with parallel-nerved leaves. Culms jointed and 

 nodded. Sheaths of the leaves usually split to the base. Each flower usually iu 

 a secondary bract (palea) within the glume. 



B. CRYPTOGAMS. 



Subclass I. Cryptogamae foliosae. Usually furnished icith distinct stem and leaves, 

 the stems sometimes reduced to simple leaf-like fronds or membranous green expansions 

 and furnished icith a midrib. Fructification various. 



* VascuI/ABEs. Stems traversed with vascular vessels. 



Filices. Fructification of very minute capsules (sporangia), full of microscopic spores 

 situated on the undersurface or along the margins of the frond, or on separate 

 branches of the frond ; rarely of larger capsules, which are more or less confluent on 

 the under surface of the frond or collected in simple or branched spikes. Terres- 

 trial, rarely (Ceratopteris) marsh-plants, sometimes furnished with a short trunk, or 

 trees. Vernation usually circinnate. 



Lycopodiaceae. Fructification of capsules, which are axillary in the upper leaves or in 

 the scales of a cone, sessile, 1- to 3-celled, bursting by 2 or 3 valves, full of spores 

 marked by 3 radiating lines. Terrestrial plants, with elongate erect creeping of 

 , pendulous stems. 



Hence the old phrase : Nodum in scirpo quaerere. 



