MANUAL OF NATUKAL HISTORY. 505 



anthers 2-celled, introrse ; ovary 3-celled ; 

 ovules few in each, cell ; style and stigma 

 one; fruit capsular, 2 -3-celled, 2 -3-valved; 

 embryo pulley-shaped, half-immersed in fleshy 

 albumen. Occur in the East and West 

 Indies, Australia, Africa, and also in North 

 America. 



3. FAMILY. Xyrids (Xyridacese). ' Herbs, sedge- 

 like ; fibrous-rooted ; leaves radical, sheath- 

 ing, flowers in terminal, imbricated, scaly 

 heads ; perianth 6-partite, in two whorls, the 

 outer one glumaceous ; stamens six, 3-fertile ; 

 anthers 2-celled, extrorse ; ovary single, 1- 

 celled ; ovules ; placentae parietal ; style 

 3- fid ; fruit capsular, 1 -celled, 3-valved ; em- 

 bryo minute, on the outside of fleshy albu- 

 men. Natives of tropical Asia, Africa, and 

 America. 



4. FAMILY. Water-worts (Philydracese). Herbs ; 

 root fascicled-fibrous ; stems often woolly ; 

 leaves equitant, partly-sheathing; inflores- 

 cence in terminal spikes ; flowers alternate, 

 solitary, sessile, with a spathaceous, persistent 

 bract ; perianth with the outer whorl abor- 

 tive, inner 2-divided, petaloid; filaments 

 three, united at the base ; two lateral sta- 

 mens petaloid and abortive ; ovary superior ; 

 ovules ; placentse parietal or axile ; fruit 

 capsular, 3-celled, 3-valved ; embryo axile, in 

 fleshy albumen. Found in China, Cochin- 

 China, and Australia. 



