ORDER 148. MELANTHACE^E. 349 



on its base. Ovary 3, united at base, often abortive. Capsule 3-partible 

 Seeds few, flat, broadly winged. U Flowers in panicles. July. 



STENANTHIUM. Sepals at base united and adherent to base of ovary No. 1 



VEUATRUM proper. Sepals distinct to base and free from the ovary Nos. 2 4 



1 V. angustifollum Ph. Lvs. long-linear ; stem slender, 2 4f; panicle l|f, narrow; 



segm. green-white, subulate, 2" ; flowers sessile, the upper fertile. Pa., W. and S. 



2 V. vi ride Ait. Stem stout and very leafy, 2 4f ; leaves lance-oval, ample, strongly 



plaited ; flowers innumerable, green ; sepals lanceolate, 6". Wet meadows. 



3 V. parviilorum MX. Leaves nearly all radical, oval-elliptic, petiolate, slightly 



plaited ; stem slender, scape-like, long-paniculate ; sepals epatulate-unguiculate, 2 3", 

 half as long as the pedicels, dingy green. S. 2 5f. 



4 V. Woodii Bobbins. Leaves lance-elliptic to lance-linear, the lower long-petioled, 



plicate; stem rather stout, 4 6f; panicle long and narrow; sepals oblanceolate to 

 obovate, 4", almost black, as long as the pedicels. Ind., and W. 



7. XEROFHYLLUM, MX. Fls. $ . Sep. oval, spreading, sessile, and 

 without glands. Fila. dilated and contiguous at base. Styles linear, revo- 

 Uite. Caps. 3-lobed, cells 2-seeded. 2 Lvs. numerous, diy, setaceous, the 

 lower longer, rosulately reclined. Rac. simple, with white, showy flowers. 

 X. asphodcloides N. Sandy plains, N. J. to N. C. 3 5f. Per. 5" wide. Ped. I". Jn. 



8. HELONIAS, L. Fls. *. Sep. sessile, spreading, glandless, shorter 

 than the filiform stamens. Anth. blue. Caps. 3-horned, 3-styled. Seeds oo, 

 linear. U Scape thickish, hollow, with many radical, narrow-oblanceolate 

 leaves, and a short, dense raceme of purple flowers. 



H. Imllata L. N. J. to Va. Eare. 1018'. Lvs. nearly as long as the scape. May. 



9. CHAMJELIRIUM, Walt. Fls. $ 5 . Sepals linear-spatulate, per- 

 sistent, white, shorter than the filiform stamens. Anthers yellow. Styles 

 club-form. Caps, ovoid, entire. Seeds oo, winged at each end. U Root 

 premorse. Stem strict. Racemes slender, dense, nodding at top. 



C. luteum(L.) Blazing Star. Damp grounds. Apr. Jn. 1230'. Root Ivs. lance- 

 obovate, stem Ivs. lanceolate, more on the taller $ plant. Racemes 3 12'. Spring. 



10. TOFIELDIA, Hudson. Fls. , 3-bracteolate at base. Sep. spread- 

 ing, sessile, oblong. Caps. 3-lobed, 3-partible. Seeds oo, oblong. U Lvs. 

 equitant, grass-like, from fibrous roots. Scapes clustered, bearing spikes 

 or narrow, close, greenish racemes. June August. 



* Glabrous. Pedicels separate, very short. Rac. simple, short, spicate Nos. 1, 2 



* Glandular. Pedicels in 3's (1's i's), short. Bracteoles united Nos. 3, 4 



1 T. glutinosa N. Lvs. glabrous, linear-ensiform, J as long as the ropgh-glutinous 



stem ; rac. short (1 If), spicate ; sep. oblanc., 2", pod 4". Woods, O. to Wis. 15'. 

 H T. pntoens Dryand. Leaves nearly $ the length of the glandular-puberulent stem ; 

 rac. of alternate, remotish fascicles, slender, 6 S' long, 30^0-flowered ; pod scarce!} 

 longer than the perianth. Barrens, Del. to Fla. Slender. 2 3f. 



3 T. palustris Huds. Lvs. 3-5-veined, acute; scape filiform; spike ovoid, length- 



ened in fruit ; bractlets only at the base of the pedicels. Shores of L. Sup., and N. 



4 T. glabra N. Leaves radical, a few on the stem ; rac. 2 5' long, dense, 20-30-how- 



ered ; bractlets united near the flower, as in Nos. 1 and 2. Barrens, S. 1 2f. 



11. PLEEA, L. C. Rich. Sep. wide-spread, lanceolate, sessile, longer 



