780 



IX. TACCACE^E. 



tudinal dehiscende, inferior 3-celled ovary, and 3 dilated stigmas. They have also some connection with 

 Hcemodoracete (which see). 



Burmanniee grow in damp and grassy soils, but most of the other genera live in the shade of large 

 forests, on vegetable detritus, and are perhaps parasitical. They inhabit the tropical regions of Asia 

 and America, extending in the New World to 87 north latitude. They are also met with in Mada- 

 gascar. 



The herbs of this family are slightly bitter-astringent ; they are not known to possess any useful 

 property. 



IX. TACCACE^E. 

 , PresL TACCACE^E, Lindl.) 



FLOWERS $ , PERIANTH superior, petaloid, Q-merous, 2-seriate. STAMENS 6 ; 

 FILAMENTS concave ; ANTHERS adnate to their concave face. OVARY inferior, 1-celled, 

 with 3 parietal placentas ; OVULES numerous, anatropous or semi-anatropous. BERRY. 

 SEEDS numerous, albuminous. HERBS with radical leaves; veins reticulate. 



Perennial stemless HERBS with a tuberous rhizome. LEAVES all radical ; petiole 

 semi-sheathing ; limb sometimes entire, sometimes palmiseet or bipinnatifid, with 

 prominent nerves. FLOWERS , regular, in an involucrate umbel on the top of a 

 simple cylindric or angular scape; involucre foliaceous, 4-phyllous; pedicels 1- 

 flowered, long, naked, several flowerless, elongated-filiform, or mixed with the fertile 

 ones. PERIANTH superior, petaloid ; segments 6, 2-seriate, equal or the inner a little 



Tacta pinnatifida. Fructiferous branch. 



