XIII. HYPOXIDE^. 791 



Seeds solitary or geminate or numerous, oblong, peltate or basifixed ; testa coria- 

 ceous, glabrous or hairy ; albumen cartilaginous, bard. Embryo straight, short ; 

 radicle usually distant from the hilum, and placed almost outside the albumen. 



PEINCIPAL GENERA. 



Lachnanthes. Xiphidium. * Haemodorum. * Anigosanthus. 



Blancoa. * Wachendorfia. Conostylis. 



HeemodoracetB are near Amaryllidece and Iridece in the 6-merous 2-seriate petaloid perianth, the 6 

 or 3 stamens, the usually inferior and 3-celIed ovary, albuminous seeds, &c. ; they diifer from Amaryllidese 

 in their usually hairy or woolly perianth, equitant leaves, stamens often reduced to 3, ovary sometimes 

 superior, and root never bulbous ; they are separated from Iridece by their introrse anthers. Anigosanthus 

 approaches Sromeliacece in the perigynous androecium. 



HcBmodoraceis are principally North American, South African, and South-west Australian. Xiphi- 

 dium and Hageribachia are tropical American. 



The roots and seeds of several species contain a red colouring principle; such is Lachnantlies 

 tinctoria, of North America ; but this principle, analogous to Madder, is much less solid, and is little 

 used. 



XIII. HYPOXIDE^, Br. 



Flowers 5 , regular. Perianth superior, petaloid, d-merous, 2-seriate. Stamens 

 6 ; ANTHERS introrse. Ovary inferior, with 3 many-ovuled cells ; ovules semi-ana- 

 tropous. Fruit a capsule or ierry. Seeds strophiolate, albuminous. Embryo axile ; 

 RADICLE distant from the hilum, superior. — Stemless herbs. Leaves linear. 



Herbaceous stemless perennials ; root tuberous or fibrous. Leaves all radical, 

 linear, entire, folded, nerves parallel. Scapes simple, or branched at the top, 

 cylindric, sometimes very short, or (Curculigo). Flowers ^, yellow, rarely 

 diclinous by arrest, regular, either sessile and radical, or terminating the scape, 

 solitary whorled or panicled, 1-2-bracteolate. Perianth petaloid, superior, 6-par- 

 tite, persistent or deciduous ; segments 2-seriate, the outermost velvety. Stamens 

 6, inserted at the base of the perianth-segments ; filaments free ; anthers introrse, 

 2-celled, basifixed, erect, sagittate, dehiscence longitudinal, sometimes cohering into 

 a tube. Ovary inferior, 3-celled, or 1-celled with 3 parietal placentas {Curculigo) ; 

 style terminal, simple; stigmas 3, free or connate; ovules numerous, 2-several- 

 seriate at the inner angle of the cells {Hypoxis), anatropous. Fruit a capsule dehiscing 

 longitudinally, or a berry, 3-celled, or 1-2-celledby abortion. Seeds numerous, sub- 

 globose ; testa black, crustaceous, wrinkled; funicle sometimes persistent; albumen 

 fleshy. Embryo straight, axile, nearly as long as the albumen ; radicle distant from 



the hilum, superior. 



PRINCIPAL GENERA. 



* Hypoxis. * Curculigo. 



Hypoxideai are near Amari/Uidets in their perianth, inferior ovary, &e. ; they are separated by their 

 habit, their seeds with black and crustaceous testa, &c. ; they especially approach Asteliets in habit, 

 hairiness, the number of stamens and stigmas, the 1- 3-celled ovary, &c. Their linear-folded leaves, with 

 parallel nerves, recall those of Gagea, a Liliaceous genus. 



