liliacejE. 237 



Flower. — Beginning with the outer whorl of members of the flower deter- 

 mine the number of members in each whorl, as well as their form, relation to 

 each other, and the relation of the different sets among themselves. 



Sketch a member of the calyx, corolla, and andrcecium. Sketch the pistil, 

 naming the parts. Make a section of the pistil (preferably one in which the 

 seeds are nearly mature) and determine the number of carpels united to form 

 it. How are the number of carpels manifested in the stigma ? 



Construct a floral diagram to show the relation and number of the different 

 members of the flower. 



The flower of the adder's tongue is complete, because it possesses all the 

 floral sets. It isperfect, because it-possesses both the andrcecium and gynce- 

 cium. It is regular, because all the members of the calyx, as well as those 

 of the corolla, are of equal size. 



387. Other examples of the lily family. — The lily family is 

 a large one. Another example is found in the " Solomon's- 

 seal, " with its elongated, perennial root-stock, the scars 

 formed by the falling away of each annual shoot resembling a 

 seal. The onion, smilax, asparagus, lily of the valley, etc., 

 are members of the lily family. The parts of the flower are 

 usually in threes, though there is an exception in the genus 

 Unifolium, where the parts are in twos. A remarkable excep- 

 tion occurs sometimes in Trillium grandiflorum, where the 

 flower is abnormal and the parts are in twos. 



Outdoor Observations on Some of the LiliacejE. 



If the study of the plant families is carried on during the 

 spring, excursions should be made, if possible, to the fields and 

 woods at opportune times for the purpose of studying some of 

 the plants in their natural surroundings. The short studies 

 given here will serve to indicate some of the observations that 

 can be made during these excursions. For other suggestions, 

 paragraph 455, and the author's larger " Elementary Botany " 

 (Part III, Ecology) should be consulted. 



388. Trillium. — As this white flower with its setting of green 

 sepals is glinting to us out of copses and woodland like so 

 many new fairies, few of us realize the long task which it has 

 already begun in the silent depths of the soil in order that it 



