MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 503 



style 3-parted ; fruit capsular, 3-celled ; al- 

 bumen dense, fleshy. Distribution exten- 

 sive, more abundant in northern temperate 

 countries. A poisonous family, yielding col- 

 chicum, white hellebore (Veratrwm), and 

 sabadilla. 

 4. Family. — Gilliesiacls (Gilliesiacese). Herbs ; 

 bulbs tunicated ; leaves grass-like ; flowers 

 umbellate, spathaceous ; perianth 6-partite, 

 in two rows, the outer herbaceous and pe- 

 taloid, the inner smaller and more coloured ; 

 stamens in two whorls, the outer sterile, scale- 

 like, or forming an urceolate, 6-toothed body ; 

 the inner of six stamens, being occasion- 

 ally sterile ; ovary 3-celled ; style one ; fruit 

 capsular, 3-celled, 3-valved ; embryo curved ; 

 albumen fleshy. Small Chilian plants. 



III. ORDER. — Juncals (Juncales). 



Flowers scaly or scarious ; albumen abundant. 

 1. Family. — Sweet-flags (Orontiacese). Herbaceous; 

 occasionally stemless, or aquatic ; flowers on 

 a spathaceous spadix ; perianth scaly, or ; 

 stamens 4-5-6-8; anthers 2-celled ; ovary 

 1- or more celled ; ovules erect or pendulous ; 

 stigma sessile, or on a subulate style ; fruit a 

 berry ; embryo axile, with a lateral cleft. 

 Natives of tropical and temperate countries, 

 The rhizomes of Galla palustris are used as 

 food in Lapland ; Sweet-flag (Acorns cala- 

 mus) is employed in medicine. 



