858 



XL. ASTELIE^L 



-S". aspera, tiiyra, mauntanica and alpina, yield Italian Sarsaparilla, the properties of which are analogous, 

 but much inferior. The China-root, procured from Asiatic species (S. CJiina, zcylanica, pcrfoliata), 

 possesses the same qualities as the American Sarsaparilla. The bulky roots of some species of the same 

 genus, and of Ripoyomim of Asia and Australia, are full of starch, and hence edible. That of Luzu-rinya 

 radicam is used in Peru and Chili as a substitute for Sarsaparilla. 



XL. ASTELIEJS, Brmujniart. 



Astelia hemirfirysa. 

 Fruit. 



.(. hemichryta. 

 Seed, entire and cut vertically. 



A. hemidirysa. 



Albumen cut 



vertically (.mag.). 



A . Solandri. 

 A. Sotanilri. Embryo 



Seed cut vertically. (mag.). 



Perennial tufted HERBS, often epiphytal on old trees. BOOTS fibrous. LEAVES 

 radical, imbricate, linear-lanceolate or ensiform, keeled, covered below, or on both 

 sides, with long silky or silvery hairs. FLOWERS polygamo-dicecious, racemed or 

 panicled, or rarely sub-solitary ; pedicels not jointed, 1-bracteolate at the base. 

 PERIANTH sub-glumaceous [rather membranous or sub-coriaceous], silky outside, 

 6-partite, imbricate, persistent. STAMENS 6, inserted at the base of the perianth ; 

 anthers introrse. OVARY 3-celled (Astelia Solandri, nervosa, &c.), or 1 -celled by 

 absorption of the septa, and with 3 parietal placentas (A. linearis, Cunninghamii, 

 &c.) ; style 1 or ; stigmas 3 ; ovules numerous, anatropous. FRUIT a berry, or a 

 loculicidally 3-valved capsule. SEEDS more or less numerous, appendiculate at the 

 top or at the two ends ; testa black, crustaceous ; endopleura membranous ; albumen 

 thick. EMBRYO straight, cylindric, axile. 



PRINCIPAL GENERA. 

 Astelia. Milligania. 



Astdica are not closely allied to any family, but they most nearly approach Ilypoxideee in their 

 radical Grass-like and velvety leaves, their perianth, andrcecium, ovary, &c. The habit of most of the 

 species recalls that of TUlandsia amongst Bromeliacece ; like these they are often epiphytes, and live on 

 large trees, where they resemble birds' nests ; others inhabit swamps. They are met with in New 

 Zealand, Bourbon, Tasmania, the Sandwich Islands and South America. 



Blume has described a Javanese dioecious undershrub, with fibrous root, lanceolate leaves tomentose 

 beneath, and panicled flowers with a six-partite persistent perianth, three-celled ovary and one-seeded 

 berry, of which be made his genus JLniytiana, which he considers near 



