15 



Melanthaceje. — Herbs, with fibrous or bulbous roots ; leaves 

 sheathing ; perianth tubular, or in six pieces ; stamens six ; 

 anthers opening outwards ; ovary three-celled, many-seeded ; 

 styles three ; capsule dividing into three portions superiorly ; 

 albumen dense ; containing — ColcMcum Autumnale, Asagrcea 

 Officinalis, and Verafrum Viride. 



; :^^i 



aLUMACEOUS ENDOGENS 



Gramin-ace^. — Herbs vrith hollow stems and nodes ; leaves 

 alternate, narrow, sheathing, and ligulate ; flowers in spikelets, 

 arranged in terminal spikes, racemes, or panicles ; inflorescence, 

 consisting of alternately disposed bracts or glumes, the two lower 

 usually empty, the upper one enclosing a smaller palea, within 

 which is the minute flower, composed of two very minute scales ; 

 stamens one to three, with versatile anthers ; and a one-celled, 

 one- seeded ovary, having two feathery styles ; fruit a caryopsis ; 

 embryo small, at the base of farinaceous albumen ; containing — 

 Secale Cereale, Tritimim Vulgare, Hordeuyn Bistichon, and Sacchanim 

 Oficinarum. 



AOEOGENS. 



FiLiCES. — Leafy plants, with rhizomes, the fronds coiled up^ 

 before expanding, in a circinate form, and having a forked 

 venation ; fructification consisting of capsules or sporangia, 

 usually arranged in clusters or sori, and covered with a thin 

 membrane when young, termed the indusium, each containing 

 numerous minute spores. In germinating the spores produce a 

 green leafy prothallus, upon which special antheridia and pistil- 

 lidia are develo^oed, and from these arises the future plant j 

 containing — Aspidium Filix Mas. 



