24 



KEY TO is^ATlTRAL ORDERS. 



Class II. Exlogenous or Monocotyledonous Plants. Stem not 

 distinguishable into bark, wood and pith. Leaves mostly parallel-veined and 

 sheathing at base. Parts of the fioiver usually in threes. Emhryo with a 

 single cotyledm. 



1. Flowers densel}' crowded on a spadix with or without a spatlie. 

 Herbs. Tlie small and crowded flowers either 



naked or with a small perianth. 



Spadix with a large spathe surrounding it. 1 page. 



Plower generally naked : fruit a berrj^ ' 

 Spadix without a spatiie. Perianth of 6 



pieces. 



Spadix without any proper spathe : perianth 



none ; fi-uit an akene. Typhace^, 347 



2. Flowers not on a spadix, but variously disposed, having a calyx ani 

 corolla, or a 6-leaved or 6-lobed (rarely 4-lobed) perianth colored and 

 corolla-like. 



Perianth not adherent to the ovary, and 



Of 3 greenish sepals and 3 distinct and colored 

 petals. 



Pistils many, in a ring or head, forming 



akenes. Alismaceje, 347 



Pistil 1, 3-celled. many - several-seeded : 



style one. 



Slender scurfy-leaved plants, growing on • 



trees Bromeliace^, 349 



Of mostly 6 petal-like leaves in 2 ranks, 3 out- 

 side and 3 inside, or else 6- (rarely 4-) 

 lobed, all colored alike. 



Stamens 6, or as many as the divisions 

 of the perianth, all alike. 



Anthers turned outward, i. e., on 

 the outer side of the filament. 

 Leaves alternate with side ten- 

 drils, netted- veined between 

 the ribs. Flowers dioecious: 



styles or sessile stigmas 3. Smilace^, 350 

 Anthers turned inwards, i. e., on the 

 inner side of the filament *style 1 : 



stigmas 1-3. Liliace^, 351 



3. Flowers not on a spadix and without any colored or coroUa-like 

 perianth, but having glumes, i. e., husk-like or scale-like bracts. Stems rush- 

 like or straw-like. 



Glumes 6 in a whorl to each flower, like a calyx. Juncace^, 358 



Glume one to each flower, the flower in its axil. 



Flowers collected into heads or spikes. Cyperace^, 358 



Glumes 2 - 4 to each flower, of 2 sorts. GRAMiNE.a:. 



I Arace^, 344 



