568 



PART III. THE CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS. 



the genera with a corona are the many species of Narcissus N. {Corbularia) 

 Bidhocodium, the Hooped Petticoat Daffodil ; N. (Ajax) Pseudo-narcissus, the 

 common Daffodil ; N. (Queltia) Jonquilla, the Jonquil, and N. incomparahiUs 

 the Star Daffodil ; N. poeticus, the Poet's or Pheasant's Eye Narcissus ; N. 

 Tazetta, the Cluster Narcissus : also the genera Pancratium and Eucharis. 



Fam. 2. Apavoidea : stem not subterranean, short or elongated into a 

 trunk. Here belong the genera Agave (incl. Bonapartea) and Fourcroya. 

 Afiave americana, commonly known as the false or American Aloe, is a native 

 of Mexico but has been naturalised in Southern Europe. The short stem 

 bears a rosette of large thick prickly leaves : when it has attained sufficient 

 vigour— in Southern Europe in from 10 to 20 years— it throws up a scape 20-30. 

 feet high, which branches and bears a large number of flowers in a pyramidal 

 panicle. 



Fam. 3. Hypo.xidoid'cs : subterranean stem a rhizome, bearing a terminal 

 flowering-shoot. Alstrcemeria, the Peruvian Lily, has a leafy flowering-shoot 



and the habit of a Lily. 

 H The British species of the 



Q^ order are the common Daffodil, 



the Snowdrop, and the Snow- 

 flakes. 



Order 2. Iridace^. 

 IvS, C3, A3 + 0, G^:. The 

 flower is sometimes zygo- 

 morphic : stamens some- 

 tim.es monadelphous ; the 

 anthers are extrorse : the 

 fruit is usually a trilocular 

 loculicidal capsule. 



Fam. 1. Crocoide^ : flowers 

 actinomorphic, terminal, single, 

 with sometimes other axillary 

 flowers, each invested by a 

 spathe : stem, a corm. 



To this family belong, 

 amongst others, the genera 

 Crocus and Romulea. Many 

 species of Crocus {e.g. C. aureus, 

 bijlorus, speciosus, vermis, etc.) 

 are cultivated ; C. sativus is the 

 Saffron Crocus, the dried stig- 

 mata of which are termed Saf- 

 fron : the only indigenous 

 British species is C. nudijiorus 



which is autumn-flowering. Romulea (Trichonema) Columnae occurs in the 



Channel Islands. 



Fig. 373.— Diagram of the flower of Iris, and view 

 of the same after the removal of the perianth : s 

 peduncle ; / inferior ovary ; r tubular portion of the 

 perianth ; pa the insertion of the outer, in of the 

 inner leaves of the perianth ; st stamen ; a anther ; 

 nnn the three petaloid stigmata (nat. size). 



