474 



many-ovuled ; style i ; sliamas 3, often petal-like ; jruit a 3-sided, 

 3-valved, many-seeded capsule. Tliey are cliiefly natives of warm 

 and temperate, extra-tropical regions, and are most abundant in 

 Cape Colony, where, at the time of its discovery by the Portu- 

 guese, the natives mainly supported themselves on the under- 

 ground stems of plants of this Order, together with such shell-fish 



as were left on shore by the 

 receding tide. Few species 

 are used in the arts : Orris 

 root is the rhizome of Iris 

 floreiiliua and other species, 

 which, when dried, has a 

 perfume resembling that of 

 Violets, and is used as an 

 ingredient of tooth-powder ; 

 and Saffron, the dried stig- 

 mas of Crik'HS sativus, 

 formerly used far more ex- 

 tensively than at present, 

 aS: a dye and as a colouring 

 agent in cooking and in 

 medi<:ine. Iris^ Crocus, Ixia, 

 GtaJiohis and others are 

 favourite garden genera. 



I- Ikis. — Flowers poly- 

 syTOuietric ; sepals reflexed ; 

 style dividing into 3 broad, 

 2-hd, petaloid lobes. 



*2. Ckocus. — Flowers 

 polysymmetric, funnel- 



sliaped, with a long tube ; 

 slyle slender ; stiginatic lobes 

 widening upward. 



3. Ro.MULKA. — Floivers 

 polysymmetric, with a short 

 tube ; style slender ; stigmas 

 2;-fid, lobes slender. 



4. SiSYRiNCHiu.M. — Flowers p(jlysymmetric, with a short tube ; 

 style short ; stigmas undivided. 



5. Glahiolus, — Flowers monosymmetric ; style slender ; stig- 

 inatic lobes wiilening upward. 



(Veil. 



F/ntr, Cvm Flag). 



I. Iri.s (Flower dc-lucc). — TTeil)aceoiis [jkrnts mostly with fleshy 

 rhizomes ; leaves chiclly iLnlical, sword-shaped, cijuitiiiit ; flowers 



