502 MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



North and South America, India, and tro- 

 pical Africa. 



2. FAMILY. Lilies (Liliacese). Herbs, shrubs, or 



trees ; bulbous, tuberous, rhizomatous, or 

 fibrous -rooted ; leaves rarely expanded ; 

 flowers various, from large and showy to 

 small and green ; perianth 6-divided, in two 

 verticils, coloured, flat when withering ; sta- 

 mens six ; anthers introrse ; ovary free, 3- 

 celled ; ovules 00, anatropal or amphitropal ; 

 fruit succulent, or dry and capsular, 3-celled; 

 albumen fleshy. Distribution extended, but 

 more abundant in temperate climates. Con- 

 tain numerous important plants, and yield 

 a variety of valuable products ; among the 

 former are New Zealand flax (P/^ormmm), 

 African hemp (Sanseviera), onion, garlic, 

 leek, eschallot, chives, asparagus, lily, tulip, 

 hyacinth, &c. ; and among the latter, true 

 Dragon's-blood from Dracaena Draco, and 

 Botany Bay gum from species of Xanthor- 

 rhcea. It also affords some active drugs, as 

 aloes, the inspissated juice of various species 

 of Aloe] and squills, the bulb of Squilla 

 maritima. 



3. FAMILY. Meadow-saffrons (Melanthiaceee). 



Herbs ; bulbous, tuberous, or fibrous-rooted ; 

 leaves sheathing ; flowers sometimes poly- 

 gamous ; perianth 6-divided, petaloid, flat 

 when withering ; stamens six ; anthers ex- 

 trorse ; ovary 3-celle'd ; ovules numerous ; 



