423 
Rootstocks tuberous, the tubers resembling those of Solomon’s 
Seal. Tubers short, thick, each of them throwing out in turna 
short ligament upon which is a new tuber from which the next 
year's stem is evolved, the old plant dying down to the ground 
at the end of the season. Each stem leaves a circular scar, and 
many generations are successively attached to each other. One 
gathered recently by the writer exhibited 15 such scars, showing 
the rootstock to be at least that number of years old. 
Stems glabrous, often glaucous, climbing by tendrils 3°-10°, 
obtusely angled or terete, commonly branching. Leaves distichous. 
Petioles varying in length from 4” to 3%’. Blades ovate, 
broadly ovate, rounded or lanceolate, obtuse or cordate at base, 
acute, acuminate or cuspidate at the apex, frequently downy be- 
neath (var. pulverulenta, A. Gray), smooth or denticulate on the 
Margins, copiously lineolate, 7-9-nerved and sometimes with an 
additional obscure marginal nerve on each side, the orbicular 
forms 2/3’ long, and 114’-31{’ wide; the ovate 21%4’-5’ long 
and 114’-314’ wide; the lanceolate (var. Simsii. A. DC.) 114/-3/ 
long and 10’-15” wide. Peduncles 4'-9’ long, usually much 
longer than the petioles (6-10 times), 15—80-flowered, flattened, 
thickening in fruit; stipular sheaths commonly not over. 2’’—3/” 
in length, sometimes elongated with age to 10”. Pedicels 3/’-8” 
long. Flowers carrion-scented in anthesis. I can detect no 
Odor in the leaves or flower buds. Segments of male perianth 
2"-2%4" long, 1{—¥% longer than the stamens. Stamens 6, occa- 
‘ionally § or 7; filaments 2 or 3 times as long as the anthers. 
Female flowers smaller; staminodia very apparent. Ovary ovoid, 
about 2/” long, 3-celled, 2 ovules in each cell; stigmas short, 
Ovate, apparently sessile. Berries globose, bluish-black, 2-4- 
Seeded, 34” in diameter, usually very abundant. 
Woodlands, New Brunswick to Ontario and Dakota, south to 
Florida, Nebraska and Louisiana. 
The form called Zasioncuron by Hooker occurs in the Saskatch- 
€wan region. April-June. 
2. SMILAX ECIRRHATA (Engelm.) S. Wats.; A. Gray, Man. Ed. 6, 
520 (1890). 
Coprosmanthus herbaceus var. ecirrhatus Engelm.; Kunth, Enum. 
: 266 (1850). : oa 
Coprosmanthus herbaceus Chapm. Fl. S. States, 477 (1860), 
not Kunth. ee 
Smilax herbacea EN. Bot. S. C. and Ga. 2: 702 (1824), not L. : 
ai herbacea var. ecirrhata A. DC. Monog. Phan. 1:,52 ae 
Dea tees 
