PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 29 
given. Dietrich, Salisbury, Herbert, Klatt and others = pay very 
partially studied ‘the Order ; but now ‘( 1876), after half a century, with 
additional material, the author retreads the ground neuny over by Ker. 
Adopting the plan followed in his papers in the Paes 8 i ournal on 
the Liliacee, remarks regarding the sexual organs Shs | 
perianth presents three distinct structural types, ind any furnish the 
author’s primary subdivisions of the Order:—1i. A regular perianth 
with a straight tube and symmetrical limbs in ack all the six 
avin are alike in shape and sirecseny: correlated with symmetrical 
stamens spreading from the axis in the pega aie as a eree 
i ay 
segments are deododty different in shape a fa en in Na eon 4 
the three outer. Examples, Jris, Zigridia. 3. irregular ie 
with a more or less decidedly arching tube and pont} of jpg 
row different in shape and direction, correlate “with stamens on’ 
lateral and arching in the expanded flower. Examples, runes os 
Antholyza.. Three series thus arise: the /ziee, Iridee, and Gladiolee 
The first con 2, the second 20, and the third 13 siiaed 
hat corresponding tertiary parallelism of their types of in- 
floresce . ndary characters one section contains plants 
having bulbs and free stamens; the Jriee has 15 genera of these, the 
Tride@ 8, andthe Gladiolee 13. Another section has bulbs and mona- 
delphous re whereof 6 genera belong to sows Iziee, 6 to the 
Tri but none to the Gladiolee. A third section is distinguished 
by absence of lbs bt but has free stamens; 8 sea of these come 
under the Iziee, 4 under Iridea, and no ne under Gladioiee. Fourth, 
and lastly, are ulbs, but with monadelphous stamens ; 
to the Tee belong 3 a . of these, to the Jride@ 2, and to 
ladiolee none. . Of species the Zziee possesses a total ‘of 289, = 
Tridee 215, cad ‘the Gladiolea 194. Unlike the Liliaceae and Amar. 
dace, Jnidasile is one of the most vont limited of Natural Gnsee. 
Campynema, with inferior ovary, 6 stamens with extrorse anthers, 
melanthoid leaves, and a tuft of fleshy eB Be being the only 
genus of doubtful character. R. Brown placed it a Melentbacees 
Miiller, in Hypoxidacea, whilst Bentham looks upon an anoma- 
lous Irid. The order shows two leading types of a basis Cin 
and th 
pret the fiowers a more fugitive, and ogee up one by one 
in succession to expand outside thecluster of bracts. Taking the primary 
subdivisions as founded on perianth structure. ture, all the Gladiolee show 
the I ee Py A tern a ee 
Ixiee both are represented, In discussing the LS a digestion 
t yi 
and N. Africa, 94; temperate Asia, 89 ; temperate N. America, 
25; tropical Africa, 56, aprenise * thirty novelties which are still un- 
described having been found by the late Dr. Welwitsch in Angola ; 
4ropical Asia and Rolenewias 1; tropical America, alee Cape of 
