FAMILIES OF FLOWERING PLANTS. 59 
The Iridaceae differ principally from their relatives, the Ama- 
ryllidaceae, in having the inner circle of stamens wanting; the flowers 
are frequently irregular, and the leaves are usually what is called 
equitant, that is, one leaf is folded over its successor and bestrides it, 
after the fashion of a man on horseback. 
The typical genus, Jris, is illustrated in figure 50. The irises are 
much esteemed in cultivation on account of the beauty and variety of 
their flowers. Orris root, the basis of various different sachet perfumes, 
is the product of several Mediterranean species of this genus. A very 
different type of flower from the iris is seen in the Crocus, certain 
species of which are familiar to us in the garden in early spring time. 
In the Crocoideae the root is a corm, and the leaves are linear and not 
equitant. The stigmas of Crocus sativus yield the well-known coloring 
matter, saffron. Another example of a familiar ornamental genus is 
Gladiolus, the garden forms of which, after years of careful selection 
and hybridization, are almost innumerable. 
