506 



LILIACEAE. 



VOL. I. 



the leaves thus appearing basal. Flowers large, nodding, bractless, solitary, or several in 

 some western species. Many plants are flowerless and i -leaved, these leaves often wider and 

 longer petioled than those of the stem. Perianth-segments separate, lanceolate, oblong or 

 oblanceolate, deciduous, with nectariferous groove, and sometimes 2 short processes at the 

 base. Stamens 6, hypogynous, shorter than the perianth; anthers linear oblong, not versa- 

 tile. Ovary sessile, 3-celled; ovules numerous or several in each cavity; style filiform or 

 thickened above, 3-lobed or 3-cleft. Capsule obovoid or oblong, somewhat 3-angled, locu- 

 licidal. Seeds compressed, or somewhat angled and swollen. [Greek, in allusion to the red 

 flowers of some species.] 



About 12 species, all but one .North American. The species are erroneously called Dog's-tooth 

 Violet. Type species : Erythronum Dens-canis L. 



Stem with no offshoot; flowers io"-z' long. 



Offshoots produced at the base of the corm ; perianth-segments recurved. 

 Flowers yellow ; stigmas very short. 



Flowers white, blue or purple; stigmas \"-\ l / 2 " long, recurved. 

 No offshoots, propagating by basal corms ; perianth-segments not recurved. 

 Stem with fleshy offshoot below the leaves ; flowers rose, about l / 2 ' long. 



1. E. americanum. 



2. E. albiduni. 



3. E. mesachoreum. 



4. E. propullans. 



i. Erythronium americanum Ker. 

 Yellow Adders-tongue. Fig. 1265. 



Erythronium americanum Ker, Bot. Mag./)/. 1113. 



i Je. 1808. 

 Erythronium angustatum Raf. Med. Rep. (II.) 5: 



354. 20- Jl. 1808. 

 Erythronium bracteatum Bigel. ; Beck, Bot. N. & 



Mid. States 365. 1833. 



Corm ovoid, 6"-io" high, producing off- 

 shoots from its base. Stem i-i long; 

 leaves oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 3'-8' long, 

 \'-2.' wide, acute or short-acuminate at the 

 apex, flat, usually mottled with brown, but 

 sometimes green all over, narrowed into 

 clasping petioles ; peduncle about as long as 

 the leaves, rarely bearing a bract; flower 

 yellow, or rarely purplish tinged ; perianth- 

 segments oblong, iq"-2' long, $"-4" wide, re- 

 curved, dotted within, the 3 inner auricled at 

 the base ; style club-shaped, with 3 very short 

 stigmatic ridges ; capsule obovoid, contracted 

 into a short stipe, 6"-io" high ; seeds curved, 

 rounded on the back, about li" long, pointed 

 at both ends. 



In moist woods and thickets, Nova Scotia to 

 Ontario and Minnesota, south to Florida, Ne- 



braska and Arkansas. Ascends to 5500 ft. in Vir- 

 ginia. Yellow- or Trout-lily. Trout-flower. Yellow- 

 bells. Yellow snowdrop. Rattlesnake- or Dog's- 

 tooth violet. Lamb's- or Deer's-tongue. Scrofula- 

 root. Snake-root. March-May. 



2. Erythronium albidum Nutt. White 

 Adder 's-tongue. Fig. 1266. 



Erythronium albidum Nutt. Gen. i : 223. 1818. 



Similar to the preceding species, the plant 

 propagating by offshoots from the base of the 

 corm, the leaves mottled, or green all over, 

 sometimes rather narrower. Flower white, 

 blue or purple; perianth-segments oblong, re- 

 curved, none of them auricled at the base ; 

 style somewhat thickened upward ; stigmas 

 linear, finally recurving, i"-ii" long; capsule 

 obovoid or oblong, 5"-o," high. 



In moist woods and thickets, Ontario to Minne- 

 sota, south to Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. Not 

 common eastward. Spring-lily. Deer's-tongue. 

 White Dog's-tooth violet. March-May. 



