THE ASPHODEL TRIBE. 



ing the bulbous structure with the Asphodel tribe, 

 was that it is an exceedingly common characteristic. 

 The Asphodel genus itself has a fleshy fingered root, 

 without any trace of bulb, and some of the genera con- 

 tain trees of considerable size. 



The leaves are long narrow green straps, and have 

 the simple parallel veins you have been led to expect. 

 The flowering stalk rises directly from the bulb, 

 without any intermediate stem ; as it is long, and 

 destitute of leaves, and rather different in appear- 

 ance from a common flower- stalk, it is technically 

 named the scape. At its top it bears an umbel of 

 flowers, at the base of whose long stalks are a 

 number of membranous satiny scales, or bracts (^jig. 

 1. «.) ; they are a sort of involucre, but are occa- 

 sionally called a spathe. The three sepals are very 

 evidently placed on the outside of the petals {fig. 2.), 

 but excepting in this respect, they are absolutely the 

 same both in colour, size, form, and direction. Of 

 the six stamens, three are a little smaller than the 

 others ; their anthers open by two slits which are 

 turned towards the style. The ovary (fig. 5.) is an 

 oblong body, with three furrows, a single style, and 

 a stigma which exhibits no sign of being divided. 

 Inside the ovary you will find three cells, in each of 

 which is a number of ovules (fig. 6,). Last of all 

 comes the fruit ; a little brown dry case which splits 

 into three valves (fig. 6*.), to allow of the escape of 

 the angular black seeds, whose skin is of a verv 

 brittle nature. This last circumstance of the black 



