Lapeyrousia Fabricii Ker
A Plant in flower. B Flower. C Ovary cut lengthwise.
Leaves scattered along the stem or crowded at its base. Filaments free, rarely united, but then perianth with a very short tube. Style-branches not petal-like.—Species 50. South and North Africa and mountains of
Central Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. (Trichonema
Ker). Romulea Maratti
5. (1.) Spathes 1-flowered, in spikes. Style-branches well developed, generally alternate with the anthers, thread-shaped or thickened at the top, more rarely dilated and almost petal-like, but undivided. Flower usually more or less irregular. Stem leafy. [Subfamily IXIOIDEAE.] 6
Spathes 2- or more-flowered, rarely 1-flowered, but then style-branches either reduced to short teeth, or opposite the anthers, petal-like, and
2-lobed. Flowers regular, but the inner perianth-segments often very different from the outer ones. [Subfamily IRIDOIDEAE.] 23
6. Style-branches 2-parted. [Tribe WATSONIEAE.] 7
Style-branches undivided. 10
7. Flowers small. Perianth with a short tube, red or blue. Ovules 2 in each ovary-cell.—Species 2. South Africa (Cape Colony). Micranthus Pers.
Flowers large or rather large. Perianth with a long or rather long tube.
Ovules many in each ovary-cell. 8
8. Perianth-tube straight or nearly so. Filaments short, inserted at the throat of the perianth.—Species 40. South and Central Africa. Some have edible tubers or serve as ornamental plants. (Plate 22.) Lapeyrousia Pourr.
Perianth-tube curved. Filaments long, inserted below the throat of the perianth. 9
9. Spathes short, scarious. Perianth yellowish, with unequal segments.—Species
2. South Africa. Used as ornamental plants. Freesia Klatt
Spathes rather long, rigid. Perianth red or white, with almost equal segments.—Species
15. South Africa, Madagascar, and Mascarenes. Some are used as ornamental plants. Watsonia Mill.
10. (6.) Flowers distinctly irregular. [Tribe GLADIOLEAE.] 11
Flowers regular or almost so. Filaments and style straight. [Tribe
IXIEAE.] 18
11. Perianth curved. 12
Perianth straight. 13
12. Perianth-tube longer than the limb, filiform below, cylindrical above.
Stamens inserted in the basal part of the tube. Spathes small.—Species
20. South and Central Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. (Including Anisanthus Sweet). Antholyza L.
Perianth-tube as long as or shorter than the limb, funnel-shaped.—Species
120. Some of them have edible bulbs, others are used in medicine
or as ornamental plants. Gladiolus L.
13. Leaves folded, usually hairy. Perianth with a long tube.—Species 30.
South Africa and Island of Socotra. Several species have edible bulbs or are used as ornamental plants. Babiana Ker
Leaves flat, glabrous. 14
14. Perianth-segments almost free, thinly acuminate, yellowish-green. Ovules
2-3 in each ovary-cell. Inflorescence paniculate.—Species 1. South
Africa (Cape Colony). Melasphaerula Ker
Perianth-segments evidently united below, obtuse or shortly mucronate.
Ovules usually numerous. 15
15. Perianth-tube funnel-shaped (distinctly widened above). Style-branches filiform. Spathe-bracts lacerated. 16
Perianth-tube more or less cylindrical (slightly or not widened above).
Style-branches usually dilated. Spathe-bracts entire or toothed. 17
16. Perianth 2-lipped, with a long or rather long tube, yellow or violet. Style-branches short.—Species 3. South Africa (Cape Colony). Used as ornamental plants. Synnotia Sweet
Perianth regular, with a short or rather short tube, yellow, red or variegated.
Style-branches long.—Species 3. South Africa (Cape Colony). Used as ornamental plants. The bulbs are edible. Sparaxis Ker
17. Spathe-bracts long, green, entire. Inflorescence spicate. Perianth nearly always with a long tube.—Species 20. South and Central Africa. Used as ornamental plants. Acidanthera Hochst.
Spathe-bracts short, brown, toothed at the top. Inflorescence spicate or paniculate. Perianth with a short or rather short tube.—Species
35. South and Central Africa. Many of them are used as ornamental plants; some yield edible bulbs or a substitute for saffron. (Including
Crocosmia Planch., Montbretia DC., and Tritonixia Klatt). Tritonia Ker
18. (10.) Style-branches club-shaped. 19
Style-branches linear or subulate. 20
19. Stigmas notched. Flowers white or yellow. Spathe-bracts lacerated.
Leaves short.—Species 2. South Africa (Cape Colony). Streptanthera Sweet
Stigmas entire. Flowers white or red. Spathe-bracts entire. Leaves long.—Species 2. South and East Africa. Used as ornamental plants. Dierama C. Koch
20. Style-branches linear, slightly dilated, short. Outer spathe-bract brown.—Species
20. South Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants.
(Including Morphixia Ker). Ixia L.
Style-branches subulate. Spathe-bracts green or brown at the tip. 21
21. Style long, with short branches.—Species 35. South Africa, southern
Central Africa, and Madagascar. Some are used as ornamental or medicinal plants. Geissorrhiza Ker
Style short, with long branches. 22
22. Underground part of the stem a root-stock. Perianth red. Filaments as long as or longer than the anthers.—Species 2. South Africa. Used as ornamental plants. Schizostylis Backh. & Harv.
Underground part of the stem a corm. Filaments short.—Species 35.
South Africa and mountains of Central Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. Hesperantha Ker
23. (5.) Style-branches undivided, very short or thread-shaped or somewhat broadened at the top, but not petal-like, nearly always alternate with the stamens. 24
Style-branches more or less divided or petal-like, opposite the stamens.
Perianth with a short tube or without a tube. Fruit not enclosed by the spathe. 32
24. Perianth with a distinct tube. Filaments free. Style-branches very short. Fruit, wholly or for the greater part, enclosed by the spathe.
[Tribe ARISTEAE, Subtribe ARISTINAE.] 25
Perianth divided nearly or quite to the ovary. Style-branches usually long. Fruit not enclosed by the spathe. [Tribe SISYRINCHIEAE.] 30
25. Perianth-segments very unequal, the inner much larger than the outer, blueish, the outer black; tube short. Spathes 2-3-flowered, solitary or in corymbs.—Species 1. South Africa (Cape Colony). Cleanthe Salisb.
Perianth-segments almost equal. 26
26. Stem and leaves without green colour. Leaves short, scale-like. Flowers in umbel-like cymes. Perianth white, with a short tube.—Species 1.
Madagascar. Geosiris Baill.
Stem and leaves green. Leaves long, linear or sword-shaped. Perianth blue, rarely yellowish or whitish. 27
27. Spathes 3- or more-flowered, solitary or in spikes, racemes or corymbs.
Herbs. Perianth with a short tube.—Species 30. Southern and tropical
Africa. Some are used as ornamental or medicinal plants. Aristea Ait.
Spathes 1-2-flowered. Undershrubs. 28
28. Perianth with a short tube and clawed segments, blue. Filaments long.
Spathes in heads.—Species 1. South Africa (Cape Colony). Klattia Bak.
Perianth with a long tube. Filaments short. 29
29. Perianth blue, glabrous, with a cylindrical tube. Filaments awl-shaped.
Anthers small. Spathes solitary or in corymbs.—Species 2. South
Africa (Cape Colony). Used as ornamental plants. (Under Aristea Ait.) Nivenia Vent.
Perianth greenish-yellow, hairy outside, with a funnel-shaped tube. Filaments flat. Anthers large. Spathes surrounded by empty bracts and arranged in heads.—Species 1. South Africa (Cape Colony). Used as
an ornamental plant; the stem contains sugar. Witsenia Thunb.
30. Filaments united into a tube. Perianth blue.—Species 1. Naturalised in the Mascarene Islands. An ornamental plant. [Subtribe SISYRICHINAE.] Sisyrinchium L.
Filaments free or nearly so. Perianth yellow or red. [Subtribe LIBERTINAE]. 31
31. Stem leafy. Spathes in lax corymbs. Perianth orange-coloured. Style filiform, with club-shaped, erect or spreading stigmas.—Species 1.
Naturalised in the Mascarene Islands. An ornamental and medicinal plant. Belamcanda Adans.
Stem leafless. Spathes solitary or in heads. Perianth pale yellow. Style very short, with thread-shaped, recurved stigmas.—Species 6. South
Africa. Bobartia Ker
32. (23.) Stigmas at the tip of the style-branches. Inner and outer perianth-segments almost equal. Filaments united. Underground part of the stem a bulb. [Tribe TIGRIDIEAE, subtribe CIPURINAE.] 33
Stigmas on the underside of the dilated style-branches. Inner and outer perianth-segments unequal. [Tribe MORAEEAE.] 36
33. Style-branches simple or one of them forked. 34
Style-branches divided. Perianth-segments usually crisped. 35
34. Perianth white, divided to the ovary.—Species 1. South-east Africa
(Natal). Keitia Regel
Perianth yellow or brownish-red, with a short tube.—Species 12. South
Africa; one species also naturalised in St. Helena. Used as ornamental plants. Homeria Vent.
35. Perianth yellow, divided to the ovary, twisting up in fading. Style-branches cylindrical, glabrous.—Species 2. South Africa (Cape Colony). Hexaglottis Vent.
Perianth greenish brownish or red, with a short tube. Style-branches dilated, fringed on the margin.—Species 8. South Africa and southern
West Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. Ferraria L.
36. Style-branches broadened, but not petal-like. Perianth blue; segments free, the inner with the edges rolled inwards and the tip recurved. Filaments free. Scape flattened.—Species 1. Angola and islands of equatorial West Africa. Used as an ornamental plant. [Subtribe
MARICINAE.] Marica Ker
Style-branches winged, petal-like. [Subtribe IRIDINAE.] 37
37. Perianth-segments free, not bearded. Filaments usually united.—Species
60. Southern and tropical Africa. Several species have edible root-stocks, others are poisonous, many are used as ornamental plants. (Including
Dietes Salisb. and Vieusseuxia Delaroche). Moraea L.
Perianth-segments united at the base. Filaments free. 38
38. Ovary 1-celled with parietal placentas. Inner perianth-segments linear,
acuminate.—Species 1. North-west Africa (Algeria). Hermodactylus Adans.
Ovary 3-celled, with axile placentas.—Species 15. North Africa. Many of them are used as ornamental plants, some are poisonous; the root-stock of several species (orris-root) is edible and yields tanning materials, perfumes, and medicaments. Iris L.
ORDER SCITAMINEAE
[FAMILY 39.] MUSACEAE
Tall herbaceous plants. Leaves with a large, oblong or ovate, penni-nerved blade. Flowers subtended by large bracts and arranged in usually spicate rows or cymes, irregular. Perianth corolla-like. Fertile stamens 5, rarely 6. Filaments free. Anthers 2-celled. Ovary inferior, 3-celled. Style free from the stamens, 3-6-lobed. Seeds with a straight embryo and mealy albumen.—Genera 4, species 25. (Under SCITAMINEAE.) (Plate 23.)
1. Leaves spirally arranged. Partial inflorescences consisting of 1-2 rows of flowers. Flowers monoecious or polygamous. Sepals and two of the petals united below. Fruit berry-like. Seeds without an aril.—Species
15, growing wild in the tropics, besides 4 (especially M. paradisiaca L.) which are cultivated in various regions. They yield fibre (Manila hemp), tanning and dyeing materials, vegetables, and edible fruits (bananas and plantains), from which also starch, sugar, vinegar, and alcoholic liquor are made. Some species are used as ornamental plants. [Subfamily
MUSOIDEAE.] Musa L.
Leaves 2-ranked. Partial inflorescences cymose. Flowers hermaphrodite.
Sepals free or the lateral ones united with the petals. Fruit capsular.
[Subfamily STRELITZIOIDEAE.] 2
2. Odd sepal posterior. Petals united at the base. Ovules solitary in each ovary-cell. Fruit opening septicidally. Seeds without an aril.—Species
1. Naturalised on the Canary Islands. An ornamental plant; the root-stock is edible. [Tribe HELICONIEAE.] Heliconia L.
Odd sepal anterior. Petals free, at least one of them. Ovules many in each ovary-cell. Fruit opening loculicidally. Seeds with an aril.
[Tribe STRELITZIEAE.] 3
3. Petals very unequal, the two lateral ones elongated, connate on one side, provided with a wing-like appendage on the other, the third petal very short. Stamens 5. Aril yellow. Inflorescence few-flowered. Stem moderately tall.—Species 4. South Africa. Some are used as ornamental plants. (Plate 23.) Strelitzia L.
Petals subequal, free, without an appendage. Stamens 6. Aril blue.
Inflorescence many-flowered. Stem very tall. Species 1 (R. madagascariensis
Sonn., traveller’s tree). Madagascar and Mascarene Islands.
The leaves are used in house-building; their sheaths retain much water; the sap also furnishes a drink. The seeds are edible and yield a fat. Ravenala Adans.
[FAMILY 40.] ZINGIBERACEAE
Herbs. Stem simple, springing from a root-stock. Leaves stalked or provided with a sheath, oblong or lanceolate. Flowers in spikes racemes heads or panicles, more or less irregular, hermaphrodite, very rarely dioecious. Perianth consisting of a calyx and a corolla. Sepals united below. Petals subequal, united below. Fertile stamen 1. Anther 2-celled, opening by longitudinal slits. Staminodes 1-3, petal-like, at least one of them (the lip). Ovary inferior, more or less completely 3-celled. Ovules numerous. Style enclosed in a groove of the filament. Stigma funnel-shaped. Fruit a capsule or a berry. Seed with a straight embryo and mealy albumen.—Genera 11, species 120. Tropical and South-east Africa. (Under SCITAMINEAE.) (Plate 24.)