Perianth

“ The segments of the limb of the perianth are very unequal, the perianth tube is curved, funnel-shaped and widening upwards, the segments equalling or exceeding the tube in length. There are about 150 known species, a large number of which are South African, but the genus extends into tropical Africa, forming a characteristic feature of the mountain vegetation, and as far north as central Europe and western Asia. ”

“ Perianth or Calyx glabrous, greenish yellow,
with the tube slender, filiform, the upper half separating
into four segments, spathulate and concave at the extremity,
and, in the hollow, bearing, each, a solitary anther. Style
scarcely longer than the perianth, filiform, yellow. Stigma
simple. ”

“ The leaves are oblong, and spotted with purple. The inflorescence is a spike, the flowers crowded upon it, but separated by the long three-nerved green bracts. The structure of these flowers will be found to differ widely from all we have considered in these pages. The perianth is placed above the (consequently inferior) ovary, which is twisted. This twist, it will be well to bear in mind, brings the flower “upside down.” The three sepals and the three petals are equally coloured, and it is therefore convenient to speak of them as the perianth. ”

“ Flowers solitary or clustered, regular, mostly perfect. Perianth parted into 6 distinct or nearly distinct segments, or these more or less united into a tube, inferior, or partly superior (Aletris) . Stamens 6, hypogynous or borne on the perianth or at the bases of its segments; anthers 2-celled, mostly introrse, sometimes extrorse. Ovary 3-celled; ovules few or numerous in each cavity, anatropous or amphitropous; styles united ”

“ The seeds are surrounded by the perianth which finally becomes red and fleshy. There are 30 species.—Gnetum has opposite, lanceolate, pinnately-veined, leathery leaves. They are mostly climbers (Lianas) from Tropical Asia and America. The ♂-flowers have a tubular perianth, (formed from two median leaves) which surrounds a centrally-placed filament, bearing 2 anthers. In the ♀-flower there is a similar perianth, surrounding an ovule provided with 2 integuments. The perianth becomes fleshy and envelops the hard seed. 20 species. ”

“ A single male flower consists of an axis enclosed at the base by an inconspicuous perianth formed of two concrescent leaves and terminating in two, or as many as eight, shortly stalked or sessile anthers. The female flower is enveloped in a closely fitting sac-like investment, which must be regarded as a perianth; within this is an orthotropous ovule surrounded by a single integument prolonged upwards as a beak-like micropyle. The flower may be described as a bud bearing a pair of leaves which become fused and constitute a perianth, the apex of the shoot forming an ovule. ”

“ In the scilla there is no corona, neither a tube, but the petal-like sepals or divisions of the perianth are entire, going to the base of the flower. There are other but less visible differences which need not be further gone into. ”

“ Leaves succubous, dorsally decurrent, mostly rounded and entire; underleaves rooting at the base, usually deeply 2-cleft. Fruit terminal on a very short lateral branch. Involucral leaves 2–6, the outer smaller, the inner variously cut; perianth small, obconic or campanulate, 3-angled and 3-lobed only at the apex, the lobes usually spinose. Calyptra fleshy, subglobose or clavate. Capsule oblong-globose. Antheridia in the saccate bases of stem-leaves. (Name from χεῖλος, a lip, and σκύφος, a bowl, from the form of the perianth.) ”

“ In the second or inner whorl of the perianth the lip is merely a little oblique on one side, but the lateral petals are distorted, displaced, and adherent one to the other and to the column, while the posterior shield-like rudimentary anther is completely wanting.
Fig. 44.—Malformed flower of Cypripedium.
Fig. 45.—Diagram of malformed Cypripedium. o, outer segments; i, inner segments of perianth; e, lip; s, stigma; a, anther.
Fig. 46—- Diagram showing ordinary arrangement in Cypripedium. o, outer, i, inner segments of perianth; e, lip, a, anther, a', abortive stamen; s, stigma. ”

“ The perianth consists of five or six oblong greenish lobes, within which is found a tuft, consisting of a large number of stamens, each of which has a very short filament and an oblong two-lobed anther bursting longitudinally, and surmounted by an oblong lobe, which is the projecting end of the connective. There is usually no trace of ovary in the male flowers, though by exception one may occasionally be formed. ”

“ Interesting hardy herbaceous perennials, closely allied to the Amaryllids. Perianth half-inferior, tubular; limb spreading or funnel-shaped; stamens inserted at base of perianth segments, filaments flat. They delight in a sunny but damp situation, with peat, leaf mould, and sand, and are slowly increased by division of the roots. ”

“ Nearly all trees or shrubs, seldom herbs, generally with latex. The leaves are scattered, and not infrequently lobed. The flowers are unisexual (monœcious or diœcious) and arranged in catkin- or capitulum-like, compound inflorescences. Perianth-leaves 2–6, generally 4, with an equal number of stamens opposite to them, as in the Nettles. The [354] ovary is 1–seldom 2-locular, and has 2 stigmas (it is thus formed from 2 carpels) seldom only one style with one stigma. One ovule in each loculus, more or less curved, and pendulous; micropyle directed upwards. Fruit usually a drupe. ”

“ Suborder II. Liliaceæ proper. Never climbing by tendrils. Very rarely diœcious. Seeds anatropous or amphitropous.
Series A. Floral bracts scarious. Stamens perigynous on the usually withering-persistent nerved perianth; anthers introrse. Style undivided, mostly persistent. Fruit a loculicidal capsule or a berry. Leaves transversely veined.
[*] Scape from a coated bulb; fruit capsular; leaves linear.
[+] Flowers umbellate; segments 1-nerved; pedicels not jointed.
2. Allium. Perianth 6-parted. Capsule deeply lobed, often crested; cells 1–2-seeded. Very alliaceous. ”

“ The perianth is represented by very rudimentary, small, fleshy scales arising below the ovary, called lodicules; they are elongated or truncate, sometimes fringed with hairs, and are in contact with the ovary. ”

“ We will, however, meet the objection so far that we will not waste many words in a general description, but deal more with the points of difference between the species. All have a liberal supply of the stinging hairs, and green flowers of two kinds. The staminate flowers consist of a four-parted perianth enclosing four stamens with kidney-shaped anthers. ”

“ Perianth more or less spreading, persistent; the sepals (white or greenish) concave, oblong or obovate, without claws, 3-nerved. Filaments awl-shaped; anthers short, innate or somewhat introrse, 2-celled. Styles awl-shaped; stigmas terminal. Capsule 3-angular, 3-partible or septicidal; cells many-seeded. Seeds oblong, horizontal.—Slender perennials, mostly tufted, with short or creeping rhizomes, and simple stems leafy only at the base, bearing small flowers in a close raceme or spike. Leaves 2-ranked, equitant, linear, grass-like. ”

“ Flowers in glomerules or heads without an involucre. Perianth-segments ovate. Shrubs or undershrubs.—Species 3. Tropics. Procris Juss.
16. Female flowers without a perianth. Stigma filiform. Shrubs. Leaves alternate. Flowers in axillary glomerules.—Species 1. Naturalized on the Island of Mauritius. Phenax Wedd.
{170}Female flowers with a perianth. 17
17. Perianth of the female flowers free or almost free from the ovary, dry or membranous in fruit. Stipules free or nearly so. Stigma filiform. 18
Perianth of the female flowers adnate to the ovary, more or less succulent in fruit. ”

“ Leaves all on long petioles, mostly once or twice or even three times divided into spreading lobes, long and narrow when few, shorter when more divided, obtuse or with short points, the whole leaf including the petiole from a few in. to above 1 ft. long, the lowest leaves as in the allied species usually entire. Flowering stems long and leafless, usually branched, the flowers small and distant. Perianth more incurved than in other species, not exceeding 2 lines, Stigma anteriorly produced on each side into a broad semicircular auricle or short broad lobe. ”

“ Bracts subtending the flowers about 3·5 cm. long, lanceolate, acute, 5-nerved. Pedicel 3 mm. long, 2·5 mm. broad above, obovoid, fleshy. Perianth segments produced into a distinct claw; claw 5 mm. long, 1 mm. broad, with a more or less distinct keel;{58} blade 6 mm. long, 3 mm. broad, ovate, cucullate, acuminate, 3-keeled. Stamens inserted at the junction of the claw and blade; filaments 9 mm. long, terete; anthers 3 mm. long, elliptic. Ovary 6 mm. long, 2·5 mm. in diameter, ellipsoid, subtrigonous; styles free, 8 mm. long, terete; stigma simple ”

“ Spikes terminal, depressed-globular, sessile amongst the floral leaves, the rhachis with the closely packed villous bracts about 1⁄2 in. diameter. Perianths erect, straight, the tube shortly silky-pubescent, 1 to 11⁄4 in. long, the limb obtuse, glabrous or nearly so, not 2 lines long. Style not longer than the perianth, erect, straight, glabrous, with a small scarcely distinct stigmatic end. Fruiting cone very small. Capsules usually 1 or 2 only, very prominent, obliquely ovoid, thick, tomentose, the projecting portion 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in. ”

“ A shrub of 12 to 15 ft., nearly allied to B. prionotes but the branches more hirsute, the leaves divided more than halfway to the midrib into broad triangular acute or acuminate lobes, the larger ones fully 1⁄2 in. long and broad, and the loose ferruginous wool more persistent although ultimately deciduous. Spike of B. prionotes, but the outer bracts at the base above 1⁄2 inch long and plumose with long hairs. Perianth rather longer than in B. prionotes, much more villous, especially the limb. Style the same. Capsules more prominent, 1 in. ”

“ Perianth of 6 petal-like (white or greenish) oval or oblong and acute flat sepals, withering-persistent, the 3 inner broader, longer than the 6 stamens. Stigmas 3, sessile. Capsule oblong, somewhat 6-sided, 3-celled, or imperfectly 6-celled by a partition from the back, fleshy, at length loculicidally 3-valved from the apex. Seeds very many in each cell, flattened.—Stems woody, either very short or rising into thick and columnar palm-like trunks, bearing persistent rigid linear or sword-shaped leaves, and an often ample compound panicle or branched raceme of showy flowers. ”

“ Perianth of 6 separate sepals, bell-shaped, lily-like, deciduous; the 6 stamens inserted at their base. Filaments long and thread-like; anthers linear or oblong, extrorsely fixed by a point above the base, the cells opening down the margins. Ovary ovoid-oblong, 2–3-celled; style long; stigmas 2 or 3, or in ours united into one. Berry few–many-seeded.—Short-stemmed perennials, with slender creeping rootstocks, bearing a naked peduncle sheathed at the base by the stalks of 2–4 large oblong or oval ciliate leaves; flowers rather large, umbelled, rarely single. ”

“ This argument, however, is not conclusive, for a similar confluence takes place between the two inner lateral bracteæ of the greater part of Irideæ; and with these, in the relative insertion of its valves, the proper envelope of grasses may be supposed much better to accord, than with a genuine Perianthium. If therefore this inner envelope of grasses be regarded as consisting merely of bracteæ, the real Perianthium of the order must be looked for in those minute scales, which in the greater part of its genera are found immediately surrounding the sexual organs. ”

“ I seek not aught save thy welfare and would on no wise counsel thee to thy disadvantage. As for the pearls thou shalt collect them on this wise: go thou to-morrow betimes to the pleasure-gardens and bid a hole be dug at the foot of the first tree in the avenue by thy right hand, and there shalt thou find of pearls as large a store as thou shalt require." So after dawn on the next day Princess Perizadah bade a gardener-lad accompany her and fared to the sire within the pleasure-gardens whereof the Speaking-Bird had told her. ”

“ In mother earth here Periander lies,
The prince of sea-girt Corinth rich and wise.
My own epitaph on him is: [74]
Grieve not because thou hast not gained thine end,
But take with gladness all the gods may send;
Be warned by Periander's fate, who died
Of grief that one desire should be denied.
To him belongs the maxim: Never do anything for money; leave gain to trades pursued for gain. ”

“ Pengu.—A sub-division of Poroja.
Pennēgāra.—Konkani-speaking rice-beaters in South Canara.
Pentiya.—The Pentiyas also call themselves Holuva and Halabā or Halbā. In the Madras Census Report, 1901, they are called Pantia as well as Pentiya, and described as Oriya betel-leaf (panno) sellers. Their occupation, in the Jeypore Agency tracts, is that of cultivators. According to Mr. C. Hayavadana Rao, to whom I am indebted for the following note, numbers of them migrated thither from Bustar, and settled at Pentikonna, and are hence called Pentikonaya or Pentiya. ”

“ And the third day Peredur rode forth to the meadow; and he vanquished more that day than on either of the preceding. And at the close of the day, an earl came to encounter him, and he overthrew him, and he besought his mercy. "Who art thou?" said Peredur. "I am the earl," said he. "I will not conceal it from thee." "Verily," said Peredur, "thou shalt restore the whole of the maiden's earldom, and shalt give her thine own earldom in addition thereto, and meat and drink for three hundred men, and their horses and arms, and thou thyself shalt remain in her power." ”