UU TNNT ae EE 
MELANTHACEJ FROM THE GENETIC STANDPOINT. 167 
The seven western species are as yet imperfectly known. V. fimbriatum, A. 
Gray, the most striking species, having fimbriate perianth-segments with 
two glands at the base and an obtuse, obovate, few-seeded capsule, is found 
only along the coast of California in Mendocino Co. We may suppose that 
the fimbriate character at any rate originated through a mutation. Plants 
belonging to V. californicum, Durand, and V. speciosum, Rydb., have broad 
perianth-segments, acute with a green V-shaped basal mark, or obtuse and 
without this mark, but the difference does not appear to be constant. 
V. caudatum, Heller, and V. tenuipetalum, Heller, have narrow segments, 
2-3 mm. wide in the former and 1 mm. wide in the latter. The chief peculiarity 
of V. caudatum is the greatly elongated central rhachis of the inflorescence. 
It may be doubted whether these two species are well founded. Heller, in 
Muhlenbergia, i. (1905) 120, has formed a key of the seven western species 
he recognizes, but neither the characters nor the distribution of these species 
are as yet sufticiently well known to warrant further discussion. They all 
appear to have been derived from the viride type, perhaps through 
V. californicum. 
18. SCHOINOLIRION, Torr. 
1. ScHaNoLIRION cRocEUM (Michx.), A. Gray. 
S. croceum, A. Gray, in Amer. Nat. x. (1876) 427. 
Phalangium croceum, Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i. (1803) 196; Nutt. Gen. i. (1818) 220. 
Anthericum croceum, Schult. Syst. Veg. vii. (1829) 476. 
A. Nuttallianum, Schult. l. c. (1829) 477. 
Oxytria crocea, Raf. Fl. Tellur. ii. (1836) 26. 
Ornithogalum croceum, Kunth, Enum. Pl. iv. (1843) 371. 
O. Nuttallianum, Kunth, l. c. (1843) 372. 
Georgia to Florida and Louisiana, in sandy soil. 
bo 
. ScH@NOLIRION TEXANUM (Scheele), A. Gray. 
S. texanum, A. Gray, in Amer. Nat. x. (1876) 427. 
S. Michauxii, Torr. Bot. Mex. Bound. (1859) 220, partim. 
Ornithogalum texanum, Scheele, in Linnea, xxiii. (1850) 146. 
Oxytria texana, Pollard, in Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, xxiv. (1897) 407. 
Texas and Louisiana, on prairies. 
3." SCH@NOLIRION ALBIFLORUM (Rafin.), comb. nov. 
S. Michauzii, Chapm. Fl. S. States (1860) 483. 
S. Elliottii, Feay, ex A. Gray, in Amer. Nat. x. (1876) 427. 
Ornithogalum croceum, Elliott, Sketch, i. (1821) 397, non Michx. 
Amblostima albiflora, Ratin. Fl. Tellur. ii. (1836) 26. 
Anthericum croceum, Baker, in Journ. Linn. Soc., Bot. xv. (1876) 297, non Schult. 
Oxytria albiflora, Pollard, in Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, xxiv. (1897) 406. 
Southern Georgia and Florida, in low pine lands. 
The genus Schwnolirion, being one of the genera conservanda of the Vienna 
Congress, is retained. Otherwise it would be superseded by Rafinesque's 
