GROUPS AND ORDERS. 27 



40. Taxaceous plants trees or shrubs, with linear persistent 



leaves ; ovules solitary, seated in a succulent cup. 



ENDOGENOUS PLANTS or MONOCOTYLEDONS. 



Leaves with parallel veins. Flowers usually ternary the 

 parts in threes. Embryos with one cotyledon; hence mono- 

 cotyledonous. This group includes the Orders numbered from 

 41 to 48. 



* Flowers imperfect, naked i.e. without either perianth or 

 glumes, or consisting of scales. 



41. Araceous plants herbs ; inflorescence spathaceous i. e. 



emerging from a spathe ; flowers unisexual. 



** Flowers perfect, with a petal-like whorled perianth. 

 t Ovary inferior. 



42. Iridaceous plants herbs ; perianth six-leaved ; stamens 



three, distinct. 



43. Amaryllidaceous plants herbs; perianth six-leaved; sta- 



mens six, distinct. 



44. Orchidaceous plants herbs ; perianth six-leaved irregular ; 



stamens gynandrous (i. e. combined with the style). 



ft Ovary superior. 



45. Liliaceous plants herbs; perianth six-leaved (sometimes 



combined) regular. 



*** Flowers perfect, with a dry calyx-like whorled perianth. 



46. Juncaceous plants herbs ; perianth regular, six-leaved, 



brown. 



**** Flowers glumaceous, i.e. formed of imbricated chaffy 

 scales or glumes. 



47. Cyperaceous plants herbs; leaves with entire sheaths; 



bracts one to each flower. 



48. Graminaceous plants herbs ; leaves with sheaths split on 



the side opposite the blades ; bracts two to each flower. 



