330 AMARTLLia FAMILT. 



§ 2. Scape and mostly smooth leaves/ram a coated bulb. 

 * A cap-shaped, funnel-shaped, or saucer-shaped crmim on the throat of the periantk 



2. NABCISSf S. Perianth with a more or less cylindrical tube, 6 eqnal widely 



spreading divisions, and stamens of unequal length included in the cup at 

 crown. Scape with one or more flowers, from a scarious 1-leaved spathe. 



3. PANCKATIUM. Perianth with a slender tube, 6 long and narrow divisions, 



and a cup to which the long filaments adhere below, and from the edge of 

 which they project. Anthers linear, fixed by the middle. Scape bearing a 

 few flowers in a cluster, surrounded by some leaf-like or scarious bracts. 



* * No cup nor crown to the flower, or only minute scales sometimes in the throat. 



^- Filaments borne on the tul>e of the flower : anthers fixed by the middle, versatile : 



spathe of 1 or 2 scales or bracts. 



4. CRINUM. Perianth with a slender long tube and 6 mostly long and narrow 



spreading or recurved divisions. Stamens long. Scape solid, bearing few or 

 • many flowers, in an umbel-like head. Bulb often columnar and rising as if 

 into a sort of stem. Leaves in several ranks. 

 6. AMARYLLIS. Perianth various; the divisions oblong or lanceolate. Scape 

 bearing one or more flowers. Leaves mostly 2-rankea. 



1- 1- Filaments on the ovary at lite base of the 6-parted perianth : anthers erect, not 

 versatile ; spathe a bract opening on one side. 



6. GALANTHUS. Scape with usually a single small flower on a nodding pedicel. 



Perianth of 6 oblong separate concave pieces; the three inner shorter, less 

 spreading, and notched at the end. Anthers and style pointed. 



7. LEUCOIUM. Scape bearing 1-7 flowers on nodding pedicels. Perianth of 



6 nearly separate oval divisions, all alike. Anthers blunt. Style thickish 

 upwards. 



§ 2. Stems leafy, or scape beset with bracts, from a tuberous rootstoch or crown. 



8. ALSTECEMERIA. Stems slender and weak or disposed to climb, leafy to the 



top, the thin lanceolate or linear leaves commonly twisting or turning over. 

 Flowers in a terminal umbel. Perianth 6-parted nearly or quite to the ovary, 

 rather bell-shaped, often irregular as if somewhat 2-lipped. Stamens more or 

 less declined. Style slender : stigma 3-cleft. 



9. POLIANTHES. Stem erect and simple from a thick tuber, bearing long-linear 



channelled leaves, and a spike of white flowers. Perianth with a cjdindrical 

 and somewhat funnel-shaped slightly curved tub^, and 6 about equal spread- 

 ing lobes. Stamens included in the tube : anthers erect. The summit of the 

 ovary and pod free from the calyx-tube; in this and other respects it ap- 

 proaches the Lily Family. 

 10. AGAVE. Leaves thick and fleshy with a hard rind and a commpnly spiny 

 margin, tufted on the crown, which produces thick fibrous root«, and suckers 

 and oflsets ; in flowering sends up a bracted scape, bearing a spike or panicle 

 of yellowish flowers. Perianth tubular-funnel-shaped, persistent, with 6 nar- 

 row almost equal divisions. Stamens projecting: anthers linear, versatile. 

 Pod containing numerous flat seeds. 



1. HYPOXYS, STAR-GRASS. (Name from the Greek, means acuie at 

 the base ; the pod is often so. ) 



H. erfecta, the common species, in grass; with few-flowered scape 3' -8' 

 Mgh, and leaves at length longer ; yellow star-like flower over ^' broad. 



2. NARCISSUS. (Greek name, that of the young man in the mythology 

 who is said to have been changed into this flower. ) Most of theni are per- 

 fectly hardy : fl. spring. 



N. posticus. Poet's N. Leaves nearly flat; scape 1 -flowered; crown of 

 the white flower edged with pink, hardly at all projecting from the yellowish 

 throat : in full double-flowered varieties the crown disappears. 



N. bifldrus, Two-flowered N., or Pkimeose Peerless of the old 

 gardeners, has two white or pale straw-colored flowers, and the crown in the 

 form of a short yellow cup. 



N. poly&nthos is the parent of the choicer sorts of Poltanthus N. ; 

 flowers numerous, white, the cup also white. 



