Cldssijjcatioii of Plants 255 



Series III. — Fruit a capsule. Anthers opening outward. (Extrorse.) 

 A. Rootstock a bulb or corni. Perianth segments narrowed into 

 a distinct claw. Capsule dehiscing 

 septicidallw 



Wurmbea. — Flowers spicate. Peri- 

 anth segments joined at the base. 



Androcymbium. — Flowers in a 

 head, overtopped by bracts; stem 

 short; perianth lobes separate. 

 AA. Rootstock not bulbous. Capsule dehis- 

 cing loculicidally. 



Gloriosa.— Stem 'climbing by leaf f'=- 231-Floral dia- 

 „ . ^, : 1 J gram of .-/&■. (From 



tips. Perianth segments clawed, Edmonds and Mar- 



free spreadmg. loth's " Elementary 



Sandersonia. — Stem erect Peri- Botany for South 



anth tubular with short free tips. Ainca .) 



Flowers solitar)', hanijing on slender pedicels from the 

 a-xils of a few of the upper leaves. 



Littonia. — Stem climbing by leaf tips. 



Walleria. — -Anthers opening by terminal pores. 



Smilax. — Flowers dicecious, small, greenish, borne in 

 umbels. Staminate flowers witii 6 slender filaments and 

 erect anthers. Pistillate flowers with 6 thread-like staminodia. 

 Berry round, often only i- or 2-seeded. 



.A climbing shrub, supported by stipules, which are rarely found in 

 monocotyledons. The many-ribbed stem is often armed with prickles, 

 which help the stipules to support the plant. Leave.-; oval, gloss}', net- 

 veined. In woods, usually on mountains. 



Kalahari region : Transvaal, around Barberton. Eastern region : 

 near Durban, Port Natal, Inanda. South Western region : about George 

 and Bedford. 



Asparagus. — Flowers perfect ; stamens with versatile 

 anthers. Berry round, seeds often solitary. Stem woody, 

 erect or climbing, or spreading by means of spines produced 

 from the base of papery scale-like leaves. Clusters of small 

 green branches (Cladodia) take the place of foliage leaves. 

 In some species a single flattened branch i^Phylloclade) is 

 borne in the axil of a leaf. These species are often called 

 "Smilax''. The thorny species are known as " Wacht een 

 bietje ". 



Forty-four species of this large genus are found in South .Africa. 

 They do not favour one locality, but are found in all the five botanical 

 regions. 



