296 



THE KINDS OF PLANTS 



2. GALANTHUS. Snowdrop. 



Small, spring-blooming plants, with a single white flower nodding from 

 the top of the scape, followed by grass-like leaves: perianth divisions G, 

 oblong and more or less concave, the three inner ones shorter, some of 

 them usually green-blotched at the tip : anthers and style 

 pointed. 



G. nivalis, Linn. Snowdrop. Fig. 43G. One of the earli- 

 est of spring flowers, appearing as soon as the snow is gone, 

 the flower and leaves arising from a small bulb: scape 6 in. 

 or less high: inner divisions of the bell-shaped flower tipped 

 with green. Europe. 



3. LEUCOIUM. Snowflake. 



Flowers often more than 1 : divisions of the perianth all 

 alike: anthers and style blunt: otherwise very like Galanthus. 



L. vernum, Linn. Snowflake. Taller than the snow- 

 drop (about 1 ft.), the scape usually 1-flowered, blooming 

 later, the flowers larger. Europe. 



4. POLIANTHES. Tuberose. 



Leafy-stemmed lily-like plants, with a thick, tuberous rootstock (whence 

 the name tuber-ose not tube-rose), bearing an erect spike of white flowers: 

 perianth with a short slightly curved tube and G spreading nearly equal 

 divisions: stamens included in the tube (not projecting). 



P. tuberdsa, Linn. Tuberose. Two to 3 ft., bearing long-linear, chan- 

 nelled, many-ranked leaves: flowers very fragrant, sometimes tinted with 

 rose. A popular garden plant from Mexico, blooming in the open in late 

 summer and autumn; some forms are double. 



436. Galanthus 

 nivalis. 



VI. IRIDACE.E. Iris Family. 



Differs from Arnaryllidacese and Liliaceas in its inferior ovary, 

 three stamens which, are opposite the outer parts of the perianth, 

 and 2-ranked equitant .(bases overlapping) leaves: stigmas some- 

 times large and petal -like. About 60 genera and 700 species. Rep- 

 resentative plants are iris or blue flag, crocus, gladiolus, freesia. 

 Crocuses and freesias are easily grown in window-boxes for winter 

 and spring bloom. 



a. Lobes of the style flat and colored, looking like petals 1. Iris 



aa. Lobes of the style thread-like. 



b. Plant stemless, the leaves and flowers arising directly 



from the corm 2. Crocus 



bb. Plant with a leaf -bearing and flower-bearing stem. 



c. Flowers in a short 1-sided cluster: plant small 3. Freesia 



CO. Flowers in a terminal spike: plant large 4. Gladiolus 



