THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
lated to the amaryllis family, but may be distinguished by 
their cHmbing habit and dioecious flowers. 
The four chief groups of the hlyworts are the rushes 
(Juncacese), the irids (Iridacece), the amaryhids (Am- 
aryllidacese) and the hhes proper (Lihaceae). The ordi- 
nary' observer would scarcely place the common bulrush and 
its allies among such regal plants as lilies and irises, but 
that is certainly where it belongs, as may be easily seen by 
a glance at the flowers. It is true they are not much like 
the flowers of lilies in size and color, but in shape and struct- 
ure they are exact little brownish or greenish lilies. So 
true is this that certain genera on the border line between 
rushes and lilies may be placed in either group without of- 
fending the proprieties. The iris family may be distin- 
guished by the fact that the flowers have but three stamens 
and the ovary is l^elow the rest of the flower. In the lilies 
and amaryllids there are six stamens, but these two fam- 
ilies may be easily separated by the fact that in the former 
the flowers are hypogynous; that is, with the floral parts 
springing from the base of the ovary, while in the latter the 
flowers are epigjmous, as in the irises. The species of am- 
aryllis are usually called lilies, but if one wishes to dis- 
tinguish between them a glance at the flower arrange- 
ment will settle the matter. 
The plan of the flower is, of course, the same through- 
out the order. It consists of a perianth of two whorls, but 
with the parts so nearly alike as to appear like one circle, 
one or two whorls of stamens and a whorl of carpels. The 
number in each whorl is three. The perianth is usually not 
to be separated into calyx and corolla upon the basis of 
color, for the two whorls are commonly colored alike ; yet 
in the trilliums the outer whorl is green and sepal-like, and 
in most of the others the three outer perianth segments 
are slightlv larger or coarser, as if foreshadowing the typ- 
Mo.eot.Garrien 
i6oa 
