248 MELANTHACEAE 
FAMILY 1. MELANTHACEAE R. Br. BUNCH-FLOWER FAMILY. 
Perennial caulescent or scapose herbs, with elongated or bulb-like rootstocks. 
Leaves alternate, sometimes all basal: blades various, often much elongated. 
Flowers perfect, polygamous or dioecious, regular, in terminal spikes, racemes 
or panicles, or solitary. Perianth mostly inconspicuous : sepals and petals each 
3, distinct or nearly so. Androecium of 6 stamens, or rarely of 9-12. Filaments 
often adnate to the base of the sepals and petals. Anthers 2-celled and oblong 
or ovoid, or confluently 1-celled and cordate or reniform, usually versatile, ex- 
trorse, or rarely introrsely dehiscent. Gynoecium of 3 united carpels. Ovary 
3-celled, superior or rarely slightly inferior. Styles 3, distinct. Ovules few or 
many in each cavity, anatropous or amphitropous. Fruit a septicidally 3-valved 
capsule or rarely also loculicidal. Seeds commonly appendaged. Embryo 
minute, in copious endosperm. 
Anthers oblong or ovoid, 2-celled. 
Anther-sacs introrsely dehiscent. : 
Braets short: flowers subtended by 3 connate bractlets: stamens 6: anthers erect. 
Flowers in centripetal racemes : seeds unappendaged. 1. TOFIELDIA. 
Flowers in centrifugal panicles: seeds appendaged. 2. TRIANTHA. 
Bracts spathe-like: bractlets wanting: stamens 9-12: anthers versatile. 3. PLEEA. 
Anther-sacs extrorsely dehiscent. 
Flowers perfect: capsule with 6 seeds: leaf-blades elongated, very slender. 4. XEROPHYLLUM. 
Flowers dioecious : capsule with many seeds: leaf-blades flattened. 5. CHAMAELIRIUM. 
Anthers cordate or reniform, sometimes becoming peltate, confluently 1-celled. 
Sepals and petals glandless. 
Inflorescence racemose or spicate: flowers perfect. 
Flowers in spikes or long spike-like racemes: styles short and stout. 6. SCHOENOCAULON. 
Flowers in broad racemes: styles long and slender. 
Filaments nearly as long as the sepals and petals: capsules broader 
than long. with widely spreading styles. 7. CHROSPERMA. 
Filaments surpassing the sepals and petals: capsules much longer 
than broad, with erect styles. 8. TRACYANTHUS. 
Inflorescence paniculate: flowers polygamous. 
Ovary wholly superior: hypanthium scarcely developed: sepals and 
petals obtuse. 9. VERATRUM. 
Ovary inferior at the base: hypanthium manifestly developed: sepals 
and petals acuminate. 10. STENANTHIUM. 
Sepals and petals with glands at or near the base. 
Sepals and petals with a single gland each. 
Flowers polygamous: rootstocks fibrous-coated. 11. OCEANOROS. 
Flowers perfect: rootstocks membranous-coated. 12. TOXICOSCORDION. 
Sepals and petals with two glands each. 
Sepals and petals barely clawed : flowers perfect: seeds wingless: plants 
glabrous. : 13. ZYGADENUS. 
Sepals and petals long-clawed: flowers polygamous: seeds winged: plants 
pubescent. 14. MELANTHIUM. 
1. TOFIBLDIA Huds. 
Perennial herbs, with glabrous foliage. Stems rigid, often scape-like. Leaves basal 
or mainly so: blades narrow, ratherfew. Flowers perfect, in erect terminal simple, centrip- 
etal recemes. Sepals and petals white or green, nearly equal, narrow, glandless, persist- 
ent. Stamens 6, hypogynous, at least the outer series: filaments filiform, sometimes 
slightly flattened. Ovules numerous ineach cavity. Capsule 3-celled, 3-beaked, dehiscent 
to the base. Seeds unappendaged. 
1. Tofieldia glabra Nutt. Stems erect, 3-6 dm. tall: leaf-blades linear, 5-40 cm. 
long or shorter above: racemes cylindric, 2-10 cm. long, 1.5 cm. thick : pedicels solitary, 
ascending, 2-4 mm. long: sepals and petals white, oblong or ovate-oblong, 2-3 mm. long, 
acute: capsules 3-3.5 mm. long. 
In low pine lands, North Carolina and South Carolina. Fall. 
2. TRIANTHA Nutt. 
Perennial herbs, with pubescent foliage. Stems nearly naked. Leaves mainly basal : 
blades narrow, flat. Flowers perfect, in erect narrow centrifugal panicles. Sepals and 
petals white or greenish, nearly equal, glandless, persistent. Stamens 6, mainly hypogy- 
nous: filaments slender. Ovules numerous in each cavity. Capsule 3-celled, dehiscent 
to the base or near it. Seeds with tail-like appendages at each end. 
Sepals and petals membranous: capsules,oblong, 6-7 mm. long. 1. T. glutinosa. 
Sepals and petals rigid at maturity : capsules ovoid, 3-4 mm. long. 2. T. racemosa. 
