289 



sub-cartilaginous or fleshy.— Bulbous herbs: bulb tunicate or 

 scaly : stem herbaceous, erect, simple, very rarely branched 

 above, leafy, 1 — 2-many flowered at the apex: leaves scattered, 

 opposite or verticilled, sessile, usually narrow, striated or sub- 

 reticulately nerved : flowers usually showy, erect or nodding : 

 peduncles not articulated with the calyx. 



GENUS I. METHONICA. 



Hexandrfn Hono^ynia. Sex; Sysh 



Gen. Chab. Sepals 6, corollaceous, distinct, lanceolate, aarrow- ' 

 clawed at the base, waved at the margitf: stamens 6, inserted at the 

 base of the sepals, much spreading, fllaments elongated, filiform, 

 straight, anthers broadly Hnear, deeply emarginate a± the base, fixed 

 below the middle, dehisciag lengthways, when open incumbent and 

 slightly curved: ovary free, sessile, obliquely oblong, 3-com.ered, 

 S-celled, ovules in two rows, sub-horizontal, anatropal: style 

 terminal, deflexed, stigma 3-cleft, segments elongated, very narrow, 

 .channelled, spreading, reoiarved: capsule sub-globosely turbinate, 

 coriaceous, 3-celled, carpels splitting by a ventral suture, seed- 

 bearing from either margin, central column none : seeds in t-wo 

 rows, globose, baccate, scarlet: emhryo cyliadric: radide centrifugal. 

 — Climbing herbs, branched, root bulbous : leaves scattered, opposite 

 or temately verticiUed, sessile, oblong lanceolate, acuminately 

 cirrhose: peduncles 1 -flowered, extra-axillary, somewhat opposite 

 leaved aad terminal, elongated : flowers showy^ 



(1) M. suPEHBA. (Lam. J 



Idetd. Lam. encycl. iv. 133. 



Sysi. Gloriosa superba, Imn. — Roxh.fior. Ind. II. 143. 



Ikgrao. Lam. IIL t. 247. — ^Eed Lil. t." 26- — ^Eheede Mai. vii. t. 

 -57. Andr. Eep. t. 129.— Bot. Reg. t. 77. 



Spec. Chae. Leaves teadril-bearing, lower ones oblong, upper 

 ones ovate-lanceolate, imdulated : flowers scarlet, yellow at the base. 



Malabar and Travancore. Coromandel. Guzerat. Flowering in 

 the rainy season. 



GEFUS II. LILITJM. 



Hexandvia Monog'ynia. Sean Syst: 



Deriv. From the Celtic word Li, meaning whiteness, on account 

 of the beautiful flowers of the original species. 



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