LIL ERIOCAULONE.E. 871 



LI. FLAGELLARIE^E, Endlkher. 



Brongniart places near ResUacece Flagellariece, composed of the genera Flagel- 

 laria and Joinvillea, of which the following are the characters : FLOWERS $ . SEPALS 

 3, distinct. PETALS 3, distinct, scarious, like the sepals. STAMENS 6, hypogynous, 

 free; anthers introrse. OVARY of 3 1-ovuled cells; stigmas 3, apical, divergent, 

 filiform, papillose within from bottom to top ; ovules pendulous by a short funicle 

 from the top of each cell, orthotropous, micropyle inferior. FRUIT a 1-2-seeded 

 berry. SEED with crustaceous testa ; albumen farinaceous. EMBRYO minute, anti- 

 tropous, lenticular, outside the albumen, covered with an embryotegium. Reedy or 

 sarmentose HERBS. LEAVES with long sheaths and parallel nerves. 



Herbs of tropical Asia, Australia and Xew Caledonia. 



LIL ERIOCAULONE^E. 



(JUNCORUM genera, Jussieu. ERIOCAULONE^E, L.-C. Richard.) 



FLOWERS monoecious or dio3cious. PERIANTH inferior, double, the outer 2-3-phyl- 

 lous, the inner sub-tubular, 3-2-fid. STAMENS double the number of the perigonial 

 leaflets, inserted on the inner, the alternate often sterile. OVARY superior, of 23 

 1 -ovuled cells ; OVULES pendulous, orthotropous. CAPSULE 2-3-celled, loculicidal. 

 SEEDS albuminous. EMBRYO globose or sub-lenticular, antitropous, outside the albumen. 

 STEM or SCAPE. LEAVES cauline or radical, stmi-sheathing. FLOWERS in a 

 capitulum. 



HERBS inhabiting swamps or flooded grounds, perennial, stemless, rarely 

 caulescent, very rarely suffrutescent. LEAVES linear, sub-fleshy, entire, sometimes 

 fistular, nerves striate, semi-sheathing at the base, the radical crowded, the cauline 

 alternate. FLOWERS minute, united into an involucrate capitulum, on a usually 

 fleshy receptacle, incomplete, monoecious in the same capitulum, or rarely dioecious, 

 each furnished with a bract, and accompanied by hairs or scales. PERIANTH double, 

 the inner usually discoloured. FLOWERS $ : Outer PERIANTH of 2 lateral sepals, 

 or 3, of which 1 is posterior ; inner tubular, sub-campanulate ; limb 2-fid or 3-toothed 

 or 3-fid ; segments imbricate, equal, or the anterior largest, aestivation imbricate. 

 STAMENS inserted on the tube of the inner perianth, equal and opposite to its divi- 

 sions, or twice as many ; some larger, opposite to these divisions ; the others smaller, 

 alternate, often antherless or rudimentary ; filaments subulate, inflexed in aestivation ; 

 anthers 2-celled, very rarely 1 -celled, dorsifixed, dehiscence longitudinal. Rudi- 

 mentary OVARIES 3-2, glanduliform or tuberculifonn.^- FLOWERS ?: Inner and outer 

 PERIANTHS 3- rarely 2-phyllous, the inner leaflets most delicate, sometimes replaced by 

 3 bundles of hairs (Lachnocaulon, Tonind), sometimes the claws distinct and blades 

 coherent (Philodice); staminodes 0. OVARY free, of 3-2 carpels, sometimes with a 

 second series of superimposed and sterile carpels, simulating inner stigmas (Pcepa- 

 lanthus); style terminal, very short; stigmas as many as carpels, simple or 2-fid, 



