784 



X. IRIDE^. 



Crocut rerniu. 



Upper portion of flower 



and radical leaves. 



Meleagrif. 

 Inflorescence. 



Croeut. 

 Entire plant cut vertically. 



dissimilar, very rarely largest (Libertia, Aristea), usually 

 fugacious, sometimes twisted spirally after flowering, and 

 persistent (Morcea, Pardanthus, Aristea, Galaxia, &c.), 

 aestivation twisted. STAMENS 3, epigynous, or inserted 



either on the tube or at the base of the outer perianth-segments ; filaments distinct, 

 or more or less monadelphous (Tigridia,Ferraria,Vieusseuxia,&c.); anthers extrorse, 2- 

 * celled, basi- or dorsi-fixed and versatile, oblong or ovoid, or sagittate, dehiscence lon- 

 gitudinal. OVARY inferior, or rarely semi-inferior (Witsenia) ; cells 3, many- (rarely 

 few-) ovuled (Aristea) ; style simple ; stigmas 3, either opposite to the stamens ( Iris, 

 Morcea, Vieusseuxia) , or alternate (Pardanthus, Sisyrinchium, Libertia, &c.), very often 

 dilated, petaloid, or lamellate, gyrose, contorted (Patersonia, Galaxia, Libertia, &c.), 

 entire, or 2-3-fid, or 2-labiate (Diplarrhena, Iris); ovules few or many, in>l-2-several 

 series at the inner angle of each cell, usually horizontal, sometimes ascending (Pater- 

 sonia, Galaxia, Crocus, &c.) ; or pendulous (Gladiolus, Watsonia, &c.), anatropous. 

 CAPSULE 3-gonous, or lobed, or gibbous, 3-celled, loculicidally 3-valved ; valves mem- 

 branous, coriaceous or cartilaginous, semi-septiferous ; placentas nerviform, adnate to 



