ive species, the wild yam (_Dioscorea villosa_),
have broad, netted-veined leaves and are twining plants, while another
somewhat similar family (_Smilaceae_) climb by means of tendrils at the
bases of the leaves. Of the latter the "cat-brier" or "green-brier" is
a familiar representative.

[Illustration: FIG. 83.--Types of _Liliiflorae_. _A_, _Trillium_, x 1/4.
_B_, single flower of Solomon's-seal (_Polygonatum_), x 1. _C_, upper
part of a plant. _D_, underground stem (rhizome) of Indian cucumber
root (_Medeola_), x 1/2. _E_, a rush (_Juncus_), x 1. _F_, a single
flower, x 2. _A-D_, _Liliaceae_; _E_, _Juncaceae_.]

The flowers are for the most part conspicuous, and in plan like that
of the adder's-tongue; but some, like the rushes (Fig. 83, _E_), have
small, inconspicuous flowers; and others, like the yams and smilaxes,
have flowers of two kinds, male and female.

[Illustration: FIG. 84.--Types of _Liliiflorae_. _A_, flower of the
common blue-flag (_Iris_), x 1/2 (_Iridaceae_). _B_, the petal-like upper
part of the pistil, seen from below, and showing a stamen (_an._).
_st._ the stigma, x 1/2. _C_, the young fruit, x 1/2. _D_, section of the
same, x 1. _E_, diagram of the flower. _F_, part of a plant of the
so-called "gray moss" (_Tillandsia_), x 1/2 (_Bromeliaceae_). _G_, a
single flower, x 2. _H_, a seed, showing the fine hairs attached to
it, x 1. _I_, plant of pickerel-weed (_Pontederia_), x 1/4
(_Pontederiaceae_). _J_, a single flower, x 1. _K_, section of the
ovary, x 4.]

The principal family of the _Liliiflorae_ is the _Liliaceae_, including
some of the most beautiful of all flowers. All of the true lilies
(_Lilium_), as well as the day lilies (_Funkia_, _Hemerocallis_) of
the gardens, tulips, hyacinths, lily-of-the-valley, etc., belong here,
as well as a number of showy wild flowers including several species of
tiger-lilies (_Lilium_), various species of _Trillium_ (Fig. 83, _A_),
Solomon's-seal (_Polygonatum_) (Fig. 83, _B_), bellwort (_Uvularia_),
and others. In all of these, except _Trillium_, the perigone leaves
are colored alike, and the leaves parallel-veined; but in the latter
the sepals are green and the leaves broad and netted-veined. The fruit
of the _Liliaceae_ may be either a pod, like that of the
adder's-tongue, or a berry, like that of asparagus or Solomon's-seal.

Differing from the true lilies in having the bases of the perigone
leaves adherent to the surface of the ovary, so that the latte