530 ORRIS ROOT. ORDER AMARYLLIDEJ3. 



root, as an ingredient in tooth and hair powder. In a few 

 species the rhizoma contains an acrid bitter principle, which 

 has occasioned it to be employed with effect as an emetic and 

 purgative. 



707. Another very beautiful order of plants, for the most 

 part inhabiting the same localities, is that of AMARYLLIDE.E, the 

 Narcissus tribe, of which the common Daffodil and Snowdrop of 

 this country are examples. This is nearly allied to the last 

 order, in the possession of a three-celled inferior ovarium, a single 

 style, and a three-parted stigma ; but the stamens are here six 

 in number, and their faces are turned, in the usual manner, 

 towards the style. This is a very important character, for it is 

 constant throughout the order ; whilst the opposite position is 

 equally characteristic of the Irideae, serving to distinguish those 

 members of each, which are otherwise most nearly allied. 

 The perianth consists of six portions, amongst which there is 

 little difference in form or colour : but as they form two whorls, 

 the outer one must be regarded in the light of a calyx. There is 

 often, however, a departure from the regular form, in the partial 

 development only of some of these. Thus in the Snowdrop the 

 interior whorl is very small, and is almost contracted into the 

 little fleshy bodies, which are sometimes called nectaries. In 

 the Narcissus, again, besides the two whorls of the perianth, 

 there is a sort of fleshy cup or nectary, which is shown to be 

 formed of the rudiments of an additional whorl, by being some- 

 times converted into an outer row of stamens, and sometimes 

 into an inner set of petals, a metamorphosis, which, in an 

 allied genus is constant. The plants of this order generally arise 

 from a scaly bulb, which consists of a shortened expanded stem, 

 surrounded by fleshy colourless leaves (. 149), the true roots 

 originating from its base ; sometimes, however, the axis sepa- 

 rates at once into roots, without this expansion. The leaves are 

 usually sword-shaped, with veins running nearly parallel from 

 one extremity to the other. 



708. It is interesting to remark that, whilst the external 

 characters of the last two orders are so nearly the same, the 

 miirmte differences which have been mentioned, the number of 



