1 68 THE FLORA OF THE ALPS 



P. quadrifolia, L., Herb- Paris ; flowers terminal, about 

 ij in. diam., sepals green, acuminate, petals yellow, stem 

 6-12 in., bearing a whorl of usually 4 ovate leaves, 

 berry large, black; mountain woods, frequent. 



Order XCVL DIOSCOREJE. 



Flowers small, unisexual, in axillary racemes or 

 panicles ; sepals and petals green ; stamens 6 ; ovary 

 inferior, 3 - celled. Climbing shrubs with net-veined 

 leaves. A tropical order, with only two representatives 

 in Europe. 



i. TAMUS, L. 



Perianth campanulate, green. 



T. communis, L., Black Bryony ; leaves ovate-cordate, 

 acuminate, shining, berry red; hedges; Switzerland, 

 Pyrenees. 



Order XCVIIL AROIDE^E. 



Flowers in a spadix enclosed in a leafy spathe; peri- 

 anth o ; fruit a berry ; leaves often net-veined. A large 

 tropical order, with very few European representatives. 



i. ARUM, L. 



Spadix terminated by a naked cylindrical column ; 

 female flowers at the bottom of the spike, consisting of 

 nothing but ovaries; surmounted by the male flowers, con- 

 sisting of nothing but sessile anthers ; and above them 

 neuter flowers ; leaves all radical, thick, shining, sagittate, 

 net-veined. 



