MELANTHACEAE 249 
1. Triantha glutindsa (Michx.) Baker. Foliage viscid-pubescent. Stems erect, 1.5- 
5 dm. tall: leaf-blades linear, 5-20 cm. long, or shorter above, acute: panicles cylindric, 
2-4 cm. long, soon somewhat interrupted : pedicels ascending, 3-10 mm. long, often 3 or 
4 together : sepals and petals whitish, oblong or spatulate-oblong, 2.5-4 mm. long, obtuse, 
membranous: capsules oblong, 6-7 mm. long, about twice as long as the perianth. 
In bogs, Newfoundland to Alaska, Maine, and in the Alleghenies to North Carolina, to Ohio, Wyo- 
ming and Oregon. Spring. 
2. Triantha racemósa (Walt.) Small. Pubescent like the preceding. Stems 3- 
9 dm. tall, simple: leaf-blades narrowly linear, 1-5 dm. long, firm, acuminate : panicles 
2-10 em. long, soon interrupted: pedicels ascending, 1-4 mm. long, often 3 together : 
sepals and. petals whitish, narrowly oblong or oblong-spatulate, fully 3-4 mm. long, firm: 
capsules oval, shorter than the perianth. — [ Tofieldia pubens ( Michx.) Ait. f.] 
In swamps and low ground, New Jersey to Florida and Louisiana. Spring to fall. 
3. PLEEA Michx. 
Rigid herbs, with slender rootstocks. Stems upright. Leaves mainly basal: blades 
narrow, sword-like, striate. Flowers perfect, in simple racemes. Bractsspathe-like, clasp- 
ing. Perianth white within: sepals and petals 6, rigid, spreading, distinct, persistent. 
Stamens 9-12, shorter than the perianth : filaments slender : anthers introrse, versatile ; 
sacs distinct at the base. Ovary 3-celled : styles 3, short. Ovules numerous in each cavity. 
Capsule leathery, separating into 3 carpels. Seeds bristle-tipped. 
1. Pleea tenuifólia Michx. Plant rush-like. Stems 3-8 dm. tall, simple, rather rigid : 
leaf-blades erect or ascending, narrowly linear, 1-2.5 dm. long, firm, attenuate, those of the 
stem few, similar but smaller: raceme 3-9-flowered, interrupted : bracts appressed, rigid, 
1.5-2 em. long, acuminate, partially imbricated : perianth 2-2.5 cm. broad : sepals and 
petals linear or linear-lanceolate, firm, acuminate: capsules erect, 6-9 mm. long, as long 
as the perianth or nearly so. 
In pine-land swamps, South Carolina to Florida. Fall. 
4. XEROPHYLLUM Michx. 
Rigid herbs, with short woody rootstocks. Stems leafy, simple. Leaves numerous: 
blades sessile, slender, elongated, wire-like, spreading, rough-margined. Raceme simple, 
with ascending or erect pedicels. Flowers perfect. Perianth white or cream-colored: 
sepals and petals 5—7-nerved, glandless, persistent. Stamens 6, not surpassing the perianth : 
filaments subulate : anthers 2-celled ; sacs extrorsely dehiscing. Ovary 3-celled : styles 3, 
distinct. Ovules 2-4 in each cavity. Capsule little elongated, if ‘at all, 3-celled, loculi- 
cidal and also septicidal. Seeds usually 6, unappendaged or nearly so. 
1. Xerophyllum asphodeloides (L.) Nutt. Rootstock large and very hard. Stems 
6-15 dm. tall, rigid: leaves very numerous, densely crowded at the base of the stem ; 
blades narrowly linear, rigid, 1-5 dm. long or much shorter above on thestem, long-atten- 
uate: racemes usually many-flowered, 5-15 cm. long, conic while in flower: pedicels 
slender, ascending or erect at maturity, 1.5-2 cm. long : perianth white : sepals and petals 
ovate or oblong-ovate, 5-6 mm. long, obtuse: capsules oval-ovoid, 4-5 mm. long. 
In pine lands, New Jersey to Florida and on mountain slopes and summits, North Carolina and 
Tennessee. Spring and summer. TURKEY-BEARD. 
5. CHAMAELIRIUM Willd. 
Glabrous fleshy caulescent herbs, with bitter aromatic rootstocks. Leaf-blades various : 
basal broadened upward, the cauline narrowed upward or linear above, all thickish. Flowers 
dioecious. Racemes elongated, slender, simple, spike-like. Perianth white: sepals and 
petals narrow, 1-nerved, nearly equal, distinct. Stamens 6, much reduced in pistillate 
flowers : filaments filiform: anthers 2-celled Ovary 3-celled. Ovules 6-12 in each cavity. 
Staminodia commonly 6 in the pistillate flowers. Capsule somewhat elongated, 3-sided, 
3-celled. Seeds 6-12 in each cavity, winged, broadly so at each end. BraziNG-STAR. 
DEvrr's Bır. 
Capsules oblong or ovoid-oblong, 7-10 mm. long. 1. C. luteum. 
Capsules obovoid or oblong-obovoid, 12-14 mm. long. 2. C. obovale. 
1. Chamaelirium lüteum (L.) A. Gray. Stems 2-12 dm. tall, those of staminate 
plants shorter than those of the pistillate, simple : leaves mainly basal ; blades spatulate or 
oblong-spatulate, 5-20 em. long, tapering into broad petioles ; stem-leaves usually oblanceo- 
