IRIDACEiE. 137 



vro tike care to distinguish rapliiJes from crystal prisms aad spliferapliides, as 

 defined in Mr. Gulliver's paper, cited in page 19 of the present volume of this -work. 

 We there, by an inadvertent expression, in the account of raphides, under Lemna, 

 made it appear that Mr. GulUver's discovery of the raphidian character in systematic 

 botany was " since " the appearance of Dr. Lankester's " Notes on Raphides," in the 

 " Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science " for October 1863, whereas Dr. 

 Lankester, in those " Notes," especially referred to Mr. Gulliver's researches on this 

 subject, previously published in the " Annals of Natui-al History," and indeed to the 

 writings on raphides of many other botanists. 



ORDER LXXXL— IRIDACE^. 



Perennial herbs often with a tuberous, cormose or bulbous rhizome, 

 or rarely with the rhizome reduced to a bud at the apex of slender 

 radical fibres. Leaf-bearing stem frequently developed, simple or 

 sparingly branched at the apex. Leaves entire, narrow, sheathing at 

 the base, generally ensiform and equitant, sometimes flat or channelled 

 and linear, sometimes tetragonal with parallel or canceUate venation, 

 sometimes aU radical ; stem leaves alternate. Flowers perfect, regular 

 or irregular, terminal or in spikes, fascicles, coiymbs, or panicles, or 

 rarely solitary, enclosed in herbaceous or more or less membranous 

 spathes while in bud. Perianth with the tube herbaceous and adnate 

 to the ovary, frequently prolonged beyond it and with the free 

 portion more or less coloured ; limb of six segments, separate or 

 more or less united ; the segments all alike or the three outer ones 

 dissimilar, or the upper and lower ones dissimilar to those of the 

 two lateral pairs, in which case those of each of the lateral pau-s 

 alike, but dissimilar to those of tlie other pair. Stamens 3, inserted 

 on the top of the ovary or in the tube of the perianth, opposite to 

 the outer perianth segments; filaments free or more or less mona- 

 delphous ; anthers atfixed by the base or by the middle of the back, 

 extrorse, 2-celled ; poUen granular. Ovary inferior, adnate to the 

 tube of the perianth, rarely partially superior, usually trigonous or 

 prismatic, rarely subglobose ; ovules numei'ous in each cell, rarely few, 

 inserted in the inner angle of the cell ; style simple ; stigmas 3, 

 frequently petaloid ; capsule dry, locuUcidally ii-valved. Seeds nu- 

 merous; testa membranous, coriaceous or fleshy; albumen plentiful, 

 fleshy, cartilaginous or homy. 



In this order crystal prisma occur abundantly. They are scattered through tho 

 plant-tissue, either singly or in twos or threes, and then appearing as if partly fiised 

 VOL. IX. T 



