THE ASPHODEL TRIBE. 235 



branched and covered \v4th little taper green leaves -, 

 the Asphodel itself has a simple stem clothed with 

 very long blueish green channeled leaves ; and cer- 

 tain exotic plants called Di^agon trees (Dracaenas), 

 form trees of considerable size, with stems having 

 tufts of long broad leaves at their ends, in the manner 

 of Palms. 



The latter, however, you are not likely to meet with, 

 unless you should travel into countries more southern 

 than Europe ; so that I do not anticipate any proba- 

 bility of your being embarrassed by them in your 

 notions of the Asphodel tribe. 



Our next subject will be Lilies, the most gorgeous, 

 and Rushes the most mean, of Monocotyledonous 

 plants. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XIX. 



I. The Asphodel Tribe. — 1. An umbel of the Streaked Onion 

 (^yiium striatum); a the spathe. — 2. A flower spread open. — 3. An 

 anther viewed in front. — 4. The same viewed from behind. — 5. A 

 pistil; a the place where the sepals and petals were cut off; b the 

 ovary. — 6. An ovary cut through horizontally. — 6*. A ripe capsule, 

 separated into valves; a the remains of the flower. — 7. A seed. — 8. 

 The same cut through, shewing the embryo, a, lying in the cavity 

 of the albumen. 



II. The Orchis Tribe. — 1. A flower of Fool's Orchis (0. Morio) 

 seen in front; a the lip; b point of spur; c c lateral sepals; c* upper 

 sepal; d d petals; e mouth of the spur; /bract covering the ovary. 

 2. ^rhe same viewed in profile; « hp; b spur; c c lateral sepals; 

 c upper sepal; <^/ petals; e ovary; y bract enveloping the ovaiy. — 3-. 

 Column of Orchis Mascula; a the anther; b c abortive anthers; d 



