48 



AMARYLLIDACEAE— IRIDACEAE 



apopetalous, epigynous, regular or somewhat irregular; sepals petal-like, the perianth tube often 

 bearing a conspicuous crown within the petals. 



I. I' lowers with a crown-like or tubular appendage within the perianth Narcissus 



II. Perianth unappendaged 



1. Petals and sepals alike; native Hypo 



2. Petals smaller than the sepals ; cultivated Galanthus 



Narcissus — Narcissus, Daffodil 



(Gr. Narkissos, a mythological character changed into this flower) 

 PL 21, fig. A 



1. Flowers solitary 



a. Crown as long as the petals and sepals .V. pseudo-narcissus 



1). Crown shorter than the petals and sepals 



(1) Flowers yellow or whitish, crown about one-half the length of 



the sepals and petals N. incompardbilis 



(2) Petals and sepals pure white, crown short with a red or orange 



margin .V. poeticus 



2. Flowers in clusters 



a. Leaves 3-5 mm. wide; flowers bright yellow N.jonquilla 



b. Leaves 10-30 mm. wide; flowers white to yellow -V. tacctta and its hybrids 

 The last named, the commonest greenhouse species, is not hardy, but some of its hybrids such 



as those with A', poeticus are hardy. 



Hypoxis — Star-grass 



(Gr. liypoxys, sour) 



PI. 21, fig. C : 1, 2 



Leaves grass-like, arising from a corm ; flowers yellow 



//. Iiirsi'ita 



Galanthus — Snow-drop 



(Gr. gala, milk, anthos, flower) 

 PI. 21, fig. B 

 Drooping white flowers in earliest spring, the petals small and marked 

 with green 



G. nivalis 



Plate 21: A, Narcissus pseudo-narcissus; B, Galanthus nivalis; C, Hypoxis hirsuta ; D, 1, 

 Sisyrinchium campestre, 1. flower. 2. stamens and pistil; R. Crocus vermis; F, Iris ger- 



Iridaceae — Iris Family 



Herbaceous plants with bulbs, corms, or rootstocks. from which come the solitary flowers, 

 scapes, or leafy stems; sepals 3, petals 3, stamens 3, pistil 1, ovary 3-celled, inferior, style with 

 three branches; flower syncarpous, sympetalous or apopetalous, epigynous. regular or somewhat 

 irregular; sepals petal-like, but sometimes differing considerably from the petals. 

 T. Style branches petal-like, concealing the stamens, petals unlike the sepals Iris 

 IT. Style branches not petal-like, stamens obvious, petals and sepals similar 



1. Stemless; flowers rising directly from the corm Crocus 



2. Flowers borne in a cluster at the summit of a scape Sisyrinchium 



