MONOCOTYLEDONES 199 



fleshy and indehiscent, 1 — 3-ceIled. Seeds aAhvumnoxis ; embryo 

 small, in a cavity in the albumen. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Chiefly tropical plants. 

 Tamus cominunis is, however, found m Britain and other 

 temperate regions. Illustrative Genera : — Tamus, Linn. ; 

 Dioscorea, Linn. There are above 150 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The plants generally contain an acrid 

 principle. The tuberous rootstocks of many species o( Dioscorea 

 are, however, when boiled, used for food in tropical ooimtries. 



Series 3. — Coroiiarice. 



Order 14. Eoxbueghiacb^, the Roxburghia Order.— Cha- 

 racter. — Twining shrubs with tuberous roots. Leaves net- 

 veined, leathery, broad. Flowers large and showy, solitary, 

 hermaphrodite. Perianth inferior, with 4 petaloid divisions. 

 Stamens 4, hypogynous, with enlarged connectives; anthers 

 introrse, apicilar. Ovary superior, 1-ceUed, with a basal pla- 

 centa ; stigma sessile. Fruit 2-valved, 1-celled. Seeds nume- 

 rous, in 2 stalked clusters, anatropous ; embryo in the axis of 

 fleshy albumen. 



Distribution, Numbers, and Properties. — They are natives 

 of the hotter parts of the East Indies. There is but one genus, 

 Eoxburghia, Dryand., which includes 4 species. Their proper- 

 ties are unimportant. 



Order 15. Liliace^, the Lily Order. — Character. — Serbs, 

 shrubs, or trees, with bulbs, rhizomes, tubers, or fibrous roots. 

 Stem simple or branched. Leaves with parallel or rarely 

 reticulated veins, sessile or sheathing, sometimes succulent. 

 Flowers regular, variously arranged or solitary. Perianth 

 green or petaloid, inferior, usually regular and 6-leaved or 6- 

 partite. Stamens 6, or rarely more, or 3 in Puscus, inserted on 

 the perianth, or rarely on the thalamus : anthers introrse. 

 Ovary superior, 3-ceUed, or very rarely 4 — 6-ceUed, with nu- 

 merous ovules on axUe placentas ; style 1, or very rarely 3 or 

 more, or absent ; stigma generally simple or 3-lobed. Fruit a 

 loculicidal capsule, or succulent and indehiscent, usually 3- 

 celled. Seeds with fleshy albumen, numerous. 



Diagnosis. — Leaves with usually parallel straight veins, or 

 succulent. Perianth inferior, generally 6-leaved or 6-partite, 

 and regular. Stamens 6, or rarely more, or 3 in Buscus ; 

 anthers introrse. Ovary superior, with axile placentation ; style 

 1, usually undivided, or very rarely divided, and sometimes 



