64 Royal Academy of Sciences of Berlin. 



Erythrostictus , Melanthium, Anguillaria, Wurmbia, Bceometra and 

 Burchardia), Tojieldiece {Tofieldia and ? Pleea), the Helonice (Helonias, 

 Chamcelirium, Xerophyllum) , and the Veratrece (Amianthium, Schoeno- 

 caulon, Asagrcea, Veratrum, Zygadenus, Stenanthium and Anticlea, a 

 new genus formed of Zygadenus glaucus and Melanthium sibiricum) . 

 The Uvular ice of Dr. A. Gray are distinguished from the Melan- 

 thacece merely by their coherent pistils, and it would perhaps be 

 more suitable to consider them as a section. Besides the genera 

 mentioned by Dr. A. Gray, there also belongs to this division Krey- 

 sigia, Reichenb. {Tripladenia, Don), Melanthium indicum, which con- 

 stitutes a separate genus, Streptopus, Hekorima and Prosartes, as 

 well as Drymophila notwithstanding the anther <e introrsce. But Tri- 

 cyrtis, Wall., is excluded, and approached to the Liliacece. 



The antherce introrsce, coherent pistils, and the flattened seeds 

 which are provided with a winged margin, distinguish the Liliacece of 

 Jussieu from the Melanthacece, to which they are in other respects 

 very nearly allied. Bernhardi's two divisions are retained, but 

 Fritillaria, on account of its anthers, which are fixed internally, is 

 placed near to Lilium. Orithyia is most nearly related to Tulipa, 

 Rhinopetalum on the contrary to Fritillaria. Medeola has anthers 

 like Lilium, and must be considered as belonging to the same family 

 notwithstanding the berries. Methonica is but a doubtful Liliacea, 

 and approaches in many of its characters to the Melanthacece. The 

 formation of the seed is here the same as in Colchicum, and it may 

 be mentioned that Gsertner has figured and described the embryo 

 of Methonica quite incorrectly. The seeds have an acrid taste. 



The Asphodelece of Jussieu are very similar to his Liliacece, but may 

 easily be known from the black testa. Mr. Brown unites with them 

 those genera of Jussieu's Asparagece which have a testa atra Crusta- 

 cea, and raises the rest by the name of Smilacece to a separate family, 

 on account of the thin membranaceous nature of this organ. M. 

 Kunth, on the contrary, thinks that the former, which should keep 

 the name of Asparagece, ought to be placed equal with the Smilaceee 

 in a natural arrangement. In the Asphodelece three sections have been 

 formed, the Hyacinthece, Alliece and Anthericece. The latter have 

 tufted roots ; both the former, on the contrary, are bulbous. The 

 Hyacinthece flower in clusters, the Alliece are umbellated. To the first, 

 besides the genera enumerated by M. Endlicher, Ledebouria, the In- 

 dian representative of Scilla, belongs, and Cazlanthus, WilkL, which 

 differs from Lachenalia by the spur- shaped prolongation of the calyx. 

 In most of the Hyacinthece the sepals are one-nerved, and only 

 Cyanotris, Ornithogalum, Myogalum, Albuca and Uropetalum are pro- 

 vided with three or more nerves. Bellevalia is enriched with new 

 species, and Agraphis again united to Scilla. In reference to the last 

 genus, M. Kunth calls attention to the great difference in the number 

 of ovules in the individual species, and also makes the generic cha- 

 racter of Drimia to depend on the loculi of the ovarium, containing 

 at all times only two ascending ovules near each other. 



The Alliece include, besides Allium, the genera Hesperoscordium, 

 Triteleja, Brodicea, Calliproa, Tristagma, Leucocoryne, Milla and Bes- 



