Vol. III.] GENERAL KEY TO THE ORDERS AND FAMILIES. IX 



j t Flowers in the axils of dry chaff y scales (glumes), arranged in spikes or spikelets. 



Order 3. GRAMINALES i < ,'lnmi/lorae). 



Fruit a caryopsis (grain); stems (culms) mostly hollow in our species. Fam. 7. Gratnineae. 1:94. 



Fruit an achene; stems (culms) solid. Fam. 8. Cvpc raceae. 1: 234. 



(Order 4. Principes, including only the family Palmaceae, Palms and Order 5, Synanthae, 



including only the family Cyclanthaceae, are not represented in our territory.) 



4fr -X- Inflorescence a fleshy spadix, with or without a spathe ; or plants minute, floating free, the flowere 



few or solitary on the margin or back of the thallus. 



Order 6. Arales {Spathiflorae). 

 Large herbs, with normal foliage and well-developed spadix. Fam. 9. Araceae. 1:360. 



Minute floating thalloid plants. Fam. 10. Lemnaceae. 1:365. 



2. Carpels united into a compound ovary ; parts of the usually complete flowers mostly in 3's or 6's. 



K- Seeds with endosperm, 

 f Flowers regular, or nearly so (corolla irregular in Commelina). 



X Endosperm mealy; ovary superior. Order 7. Xyridales ( Farinosae). 

 a. Ovary i-celled. 

 Aquatic moss-like leafy herbs; flowers solitary. Fam. 11. Mayacaceae. 1:367. 



Erect rush-like herbs; flowers in terminal scaly heads or spikes. Fam. 12. Xyridaceae. 1:368. 



Mud or aquatic herbs, the flowers subtended by spathes [Heteranthera in Pontederiaceae 1: 379). 



b. Ovary 2-3-celled (except in some Pontederiaceae). 

 Flowers very small, densely capitate, monoecious or dioecious. Fam. 13. Eriocaulaceae. 1:371. 

 Flowers perfect. 



Epiphytes; leaves scurfy. Fam. 14. Bromeliaceae. 1:374. 



Terrestrial or aquatic herbs; leaves not scurfy. 



Perianth of 2 series of parts, the outer (sepals) green, the inner (petals) colored. 



Fam. 15. Commelinaceae. 1:374. 

 Perianth 6-parted. Fam. 16. Pontederiaceae. 1:379. 



% X Endosperm fleshy or horny; ovary superior or inferior. Order 8. Liliales. 



a. Ovary superior (except in Aletris, in the Liliaceae, and some species of Zygadenus'va. the 



Melanthaceae). 

 Perianth -segments distinct, green or brown, not petal-like; herbs with grass-like leaves and small 

 flowers. Fam. 17. Juncaceae. 1:381 



Perianth-segments distinct, or partly united, at least the inner petal-like. 



Fruit a capsule (except in Yucca baccata, where it is large, fleshy and indehiscent). 



Capsule mostly septicidal; plants rarely bulbous. Fam. 18. Melanthaceae. 1:399 



Capsule loculicidal (septicidal in Calochortus); plants mostly bulbous. 



Fam. 19. Liliaceae. 1:410 

 Fruit a flesli3' berry. 



Erect herbs: tendrils none; flowers perfect. Fam. 20. Convallariaceae. 1:427 



Vines, climbing by tendrils, or rarely erect; flowers dioecious, in axillary umbels. 



Fam. 21. Smilaceae. 1: 438 



b. Ovary inferior, wholly or in part. 



Stamens 3, opposite the inner corolla-segments. Fam. 22. Haemodoraceae. 1: 442 

 Stamens 6 in our species. 



Erect perennial herbs; flowers perfect. Fam. 23. Amaryllidaceae. 1:445 



Twining vines; flowers dioecious. Fam. 24. Dioscoreaceae. 1:446 



Stamens 3, opposite the outer corolla-segments. Fam. 25. Iridaceae. 1: 447 



t t Flowers very irregular; ovary inferior. Order 9. Scttaminales. 



One family represented in our territory. Fam. 26. Marantaceae. 1: 454 



7v tt Seeds without endosperm, very numerous and minute ; ovary inferior. 



Order 10. Orchidales {Microspermae) 

 Flowers regular; stem-leaves reduced to scales. Fam. 27. Burmanniaceae. 1: 455 



Flowers vitj' irregular. Fam. 28. Orchidaceae, 1:456 



Subclass 2. Dicotyledoxes. i: 482 



Embryo normally with 2 cotyledons; stems differentiated into pith, wood and bare; 



leaves mostly net- veined. 



Series 1. Choripetalae. i: 482 to 2: 547. 



Petals distinct to the base, or wanting (exceptions noted Vol. 1: 482). 

 A. Petals none, except in Portulacaceae and in most Caryophyllaceae, which are herbs with leaves 

 nearly always opposite, the seeds with endosperm, and in the pistillate flowers of the walnuts 

 (Juglans). 

 1. Calyx none (except in the Juglandaceae, which are trees with odd pinnate leaves). 



Marsh herbs with perfect flowers in nodding spikes. Order 1. Piperales. 



One family only. Fam. 1. Saururaceae. 1:482. 

 Trees or shrubs; staminate flowers, and sometimes also the pistillate, in aments. 



Leaves odd-pinnate; fruit a nut enclosed in a hu-k. Order 2 JuglandaleS. 



One family only. Fam. 2. Juglandaceae. 1: 483. 

 Leaves simple. 



Fruit 1 -seeded. Order 3. Myricales. 



Ovule erect, orthotropous. Fam. 3. Myrtcaceae. 1: 487. 



Ovule laterally attached, ascending, amphitropous. Fam. 4. Leitneriaceae. 1:489. 



Fruit many-seeded; seeds with a tuft of hairs at one end. OrdeT 4. Salicales. 



One family only. Fam. 5. Salicaceae. 1:490. 



