MELANTHACEJE FROM THE GENETIC STANDPOINT. 147 
7. CHAMAELIRIUM, Willd. 
This is another monotypic genus of eastern North America, but is some- 
what less isolated than the preceding. 
JHAMJELIRIUM LUTEUM, A. Gray. 
C. luteum, A. Gray, Man. (1848) 503. 
C. carolinianum, Willd. in Ges. Nat. Fr. Berl. Mag. ii. (1808) 19. 
C. obovale, Small, in Torreya, i. (1901) 108. 
Veratrum luteum, Linn. Sp. Pl. (1753) 1044; Ameen. Acad. iii. (1756) 12, t. 1. f. 2. 
V. flavum, Herb. ex Schult. f. Syst. Veg. vii. (1830) 1566. 
Melanthium dioicum, Walt. Fl. Car. (1788) 126. 
M. luteum, Willd. in Ges. Nat. Fr. Berl. Mag. ii. (1808) 22. 
M. densum, Lam. Encyc. iv. (1823) 26, t. 269, f. 2. 
Helonias pumilia, Jacq. Icon. Rar. (1786-1793) 2, t. 453. 
H. lutea, Ker-Gawl. in Bot. Mag. (1807) t. 1062. 
H. dioica, Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. i. (1814) 243. 
Ophiostachys virginica, Delile, in Redouté, Lil. viii. (1816) t. 464. 
Diclinotrys, Raf. Neogen. iii. (1825). 
This species is much more widespread than the preceding ones, occurring 
from Ontario, Michigan, and Massachusetts, south to Florida and west to 
Nebraska and Arkansas. 
C. obovale, described by Small from New York, New Jersey, and the 
mountains of West Virginia to North Carolina and Alabama, is said to differ 
from C. luteum in having capsules obovoid or oblong-obovoid (not oblong or 
ovoid-oblong), 12-14 mm. (not 7-10 mm.).long, pedicels stout, club-shaped, 
about as long as the capsule (not 1-5 mm. long). The stem is also said to 
be zigzag, the leaves various, and the flowers larger. I have seen specimens 
showing some of these capsule characters, but they appear to be too vague and 
evanescent to serve for specific distinction. 
Redouté’s figure differs somewhat in foliage from that in the Botanical 
Magazine. The latter has elliptical-lanceolate leaves, pointed, with 3 or 4 
main parallel nerves ; the former broader, ovate-elliptical to obovate leaves, 
obtuse, petioled and pinnately veined. 
The following comparison shows the differences between Helonias and 
Chamelirium :— 
Chamelirium, Willd. 
Flowers dicecious, small, white. 
Scape slender, bearing small lanceolate 
leaves, flowers in a long bractless spike- 
like raceme. 
Helonias, Linn. 
Flowers perfect, rather large, purple. 
Scape stout, hollow, sparsely bracted, 
flowers in a bractless raceme. 
Anthers blue. 
Ovary ovoid, 3-grooved. 
Capsule obovoid, deeply 3-lobed, the lobes 
divergent. 
LINN. JOURN.—BOTANY, VOL, XLIV, 
Anthers white. 
Ovary oblong. 
Capsule oblong or obovoid, slightly 3-lobed, 
N 
