PETALOIDE^:. 385 



Tribe 2. COLCHICEJE. Anthers extrorse ; styles separate ; fruit capsular, 

 septicidal. Melanthium, L. ; Colchioum, L. ; Veratrum, L. 



Tribe 3. ASPAEAGE^. Fruit baccate. Dracaena, Vand. ; Convallaria, L. ; 

 Aspidistra, R. Br. ; Asparagus, Ker ; Ruscus, Tournef. 



Affinities, &c. The floral formula is P 3-J-3 A 3+3 G~3. The position 

 of the parts may be thus represented: P .+.. A . + .. G v, the 



typical Monocotyledonous arrangement, but subject to variation according 

 to the position of the bracteoles and other circumstances. 



The great Order of Liliaceae has, by Mr. Baker, been divided into three 

 tribes as above. Smilaceae closely resemble the Asparageae, but all 

 Liliaceae have anatropous ovules, and other marks of distinction are cited 

 under that Order. As aberrant forms of Liliaceae may be mentioned 

 Liriopeae or Ophiopogoneae, Conanthereae, connecting Liliacese proper and 

 Amaryllidaceae, Gilliesieae (see p. 388), Stemoneae or Roxburghiaceae (see 

 p. 383), and Scoliopeae. Looking only at the more familiar forms of the 

 Liliaceae, the characters of the flowers are very definite, although the habit 

 of the plants brought together in this Order varies extremely ; but there 

 exist certain genera of petaloid Monocotyledons, whose relations appear 

 closest to Liliaceae, which form links of chains leading off in very varied 

 directions, through the Orders of this Subclass. Tulipa and the allied 

 genera, with usually distinct lobes to the perianth and versatile anthers, 

 are bulbous herbs ; Funkia, Hemerocallis, and other genera have a more 

 or less tubular perianth, and often tuberous roots instead of bulbs ; Aloe 

 has thick succulent leaves on a perennial stem ; Yucca has a Palm- 

 like stem and rigid leaves. Scilla, Allium, and their allies are bulbous 

 herbs, differing chiefly from the group to which Tulipa belongs in the 

 firmly fixed anthers, and a membranous spathe enclosing the inflorescence 

 when young. Anthericum and others resemble the last, but have tuberous 

 or fibrous roots ; Aphyllanthes is a plant with the habit of Juncaceae and 

 the flower of Liliaceae ; Xanthorrhcea, a genus belonging to the same group, 

 forms a woody trunk like Yucca, or a small Palm. Asparagus and its 

 allies, including Convallaria, Smilacina, Ruscus^ &c., together with the 

 arborescent Draccencs and Cordylines, are Liliaceae with succulent fruits, 

 and scarcely separable from Smilaceee. Conanthera and its allies, with the 

 general structure of Liliacese, have the perianth more or less adherent, 

 thus approaching Amaryllidaceae. Wachendorfia, Lopholia, and others 

 have the free ovary of Liliaceee, but triandrous flowers and the foliage of 

 Haemodoraceae. Aspidistra bears some resemblance in its foliage to 

 Zingiberaceae, while the character of the flowers approaches that of the 

 complete Aracese. Ophiopoyon and PeliosantJies are likewise doubtfully 

 placed here ; but their structure is not satisfactorily made out. 



We see, therefore, that the Liliaceae have widely spreading relations, 

 although the typical forms are at once distinguishable. The superior 

 ovary separates them from Amaryllidaceae. Their very near connexion 

 with Smilaceae is noticed above ; they have a more distant affinity to the 

 Palms and to the Juncaceae in the general structure of the flowers, differ- 

 ing from both in habit, fruits, and seeds. Gilliesiaceae and Pontederaceae 

 are scarcely more than aberrant Liliaceae with irregular flowers. 



The structure of the arborescent stems of Draccena, Cordyline, Xan- 

 thorrhcea, Yucca, &c. has attracted considerable attention, since, contrary 

 to the usual habit of Monocotyledons, their trunks sometimes increase 



