& Caesia. LILIACEAE. 109 



6. CAESIA, R, Br. 



(After Federico Cesi, Italian naturalist, 1585-1630, who is said to have been the first 

 to discover the spores of ferns, and whose name was Latinized as Caesius.) 



1. C. vittata, R. Br. Roots tuberous ; leaves mostly basal, linear or lanceolate ; stem 

 erect, 20-30 cm. long, simple or slightly branched ; flowers blue, in small clusters along 

 the upper \ of the stem on filiform pedicels about as long as they ; perianth of 6 3 -nerved 

 segments, spirally twisted after flowering ; stamens 6 ; filaments clavate ; style undivided; 

 ovary 3-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell ; capsule depressed, 3-lobed ; seeds black, 

 carunculate. 



Southern districts ; South-East. Sept. -Nov. 



A specimen from Brighton, with the perianth about 6 mm. long, but with leaves as 

 broad as the others, may represent C. parvi flora, R. Br., if that be a distinct species. 



7. CHAMAESCILLA, F. v. M. 



(Greek khamai, dwarf ; skilla, the scpiill or sea onion, a liliaceous plant of the 

 Mediterranean region.) 

 1. Ch. eorymbosa (R. Br.), F. v. M. Leaves radical, grass-like, channeled ; stem erect, 

 1.0-15 cm. high, bearing near the summit a corymb of bright-blue flowers ; perianth- 

 segments 6, free, 3-nerved along the centre, 8-10 mm. long, spirally twisted after flowering ; 

 stamens 6, with filiform filaments ; ovary 3-celled, with numerous ovules in each cell ; 

 capsule laterally compressed and acutely 3-lobed, truncate at summit ; seeds compressed, 

 black, flossy. 



Southern districts ; Eyre Peninsula ; South -East. Sept. -Nov. 



8. CORYNOTHECA, F. v. M. 



(Greek koryne, club ; theke, case : alluding to the shape of the fruit.) 

 1. C. micrantha (Lindl.), Macbride. Radical leaves short, withering early, those of 

 the stem reduced to a few minute scales ; stems rigid, filiform, repeatedly branching 

 dichotomously ; flowers small, distant along the branches ; perianth 2 mm. long, of 

 6 segments, twisted after flowering ; ovary 3-celled, with 1-2 ovules in each cell ; fruit an 

 obovoid indehiscent nutlet, contracted into a stipes at base, with 1-2 black carunculate 

 seeds. — C. dichotoma, F. v. M. 

 Far North-West. 



C. lateriflora, F. v. M., with longer leaf -scales and flowers 3-4 mm. long, occurs in Western 

 New South Wales, and may be found in our North-East. 



9. TRICORYNE, R. Br. 



(Greek treis, three ; korynz,- club : referring to the fruit.) 

 1. T. elatior, R. Br. Stems 10-50 cm. high, stiff, branched ; radical leaves grasslike, 



those of the stem shorter or reduced to bracts ; flowers yellow, few in terminal umbels ; 



perianth of 6 free segments, twisted after flowering, about 8 mm. long ; stamens 6, the 



filaments bearded about the middle ; ovary 3-lobed and 3-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell ; 



style undivided ; fruit divided to the base into 3 (or fewer by abortion) 1 -seeded nutlets; 



seeds black. 



Southern districts to Flinders Range ; Eyre Peninsula ; South -East. Oct. -Feb. 



10. BULBINE, L. 

 (Latin name for some kind of bulbous plant.) 

 Perianth-segments 6, free or almost so, 1 -nerved, twisted after flowering ; stamens 6, 

 3 or all of the filaments bearded above the middle ; ovary 3-celled, with several ovules in 

 each cell ; style with a capitate stigma ; capsule opening loculicidally in 3 valves ; seeds 

 angular, blackish. Perennial herbs, with succulent, radical leaves and racemes of yellow 

 flowers. 



All filaments bearded B. bulbosa 1. 



Only 3 filaments bearded B. semibarbata 2. 



1. B. bulbosa (R. Br.), Haw. Roots thickened into a bulb-shaped tuber ; leaves broad- 

 linear, channeled ; stems (or scapes) simple, erect, 20-50 cm. high ; pedicels erect, 

 lengthening after flowering, each with a scarious bract at base ; perianth -segments 

 10-15 mm. long ; filaments equal, all with a circle of clavate hairs below the anther. 



Southern districts to Flinders Range ; Murray lands ; Eyre Peninsula ; South-East. 

 Sept. -Oct. 



2. B. semibarbata (R. Br.), Haw. Resembles the preceding, but the perianth is smaller 

 (about 6 mm. long) ; the 3 filaments opposite the outer segments short and glabrous ; 

 the 3 opposite the inner segments longer and bearded ; seeds usually reticulate -grooved. 



Same localities and also the drier northern and western regions. Aug. -Oct. 



