II 6 Tlie Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. XIII, No. 6, 



11. Melanthium L. Bunch-flower. 



Tall leafy, pubescent herbs, perennial from short root stocks. 

 Leaves oval, lanceolate or linear; inflorescence a pyratnidal 

 panicle; flowers greenish, white or cream colored; perianth of 

 ■spreading segments, clawed, filaments shorter than the divisions 

 of the perianth, somewhat united to the perianth segments; 

 .anthers cordate or reniform; styles 3, subulate. 



1. Melanthium virginicum L. Virginia Bunch-flower. Stem 

 1/^-5 feet tall, rather slender; leaves linear, }4-l}4 in. wide; 

 divisions of the perianth ovate to oblong, clawed, the claw about 

 one-third of the whole length of the segment. Richland, Wayne. 



12. Veratrum L. False-hellebore. 



Tall perennial herbs with short, poisonous rootstocks. Leaves 

 broad and for the most part clasping; stem and inflorescence 

 somewhat pubescent; inflorescence a terminal panicle or spike- 

 like raceme; flowers greenish, yellowish or purple, bisporangiate 

 or monecious on short pedicels ; stamens free short and recurved. 



1. Stem stout and very leafy toward the top, inflorescence spreading in a 

 dense spike-like raceme, ovulary glabrous. V. viride. 



1. Stem slender, leaves few, inflorescence in a narrow panicle, ovulary 

 tomentose. V. ivoodii. 



1. Veratrum woodii Robb. Wood's False-hellebore. Stem 

 slender, sparingly leafy, 1-5 feet high; leaves oblanceolate, only 

 the lowest clasping; panicle narrow; perianth greenish-purple, 

 with entire segments; ovulary tomentose; capsule few-seeded. 

 Auglaize county. 



2. Veratrum viride Ait. American False-hellebore. Stem 

 stout, very leafy at the top, 2-7 feet tall; leaves broadly oval, 

 pointed; sheath clasping; inflorescence a dense, spreading spike- 

 like raceme; perianth yellowish -green ; segments twice as long as 

 the stamens, ciliate serrulate; ovulary glabrous; capsule many- 

 seeded. Ashtabula county. 



13. Zygadenus Mx. Zygadene. 



Erect perennial bulbous, glabrous herbs with rather large 

 panicled, greenish-white flowers. Stems leafy; leaves linear; 

 perianth segments separate or united below; stamens free from 

 the perianth segments. 



1. Zygadenus elegans Pursh. Glaucous zygadenus. Very 

 glaucous, stem slender, >^-3 feet tall; leaves keeled; inflorescence 

 sometimes one foot long; flowers greenish; perianth segments 

 oval to obovate, obtuse, somewhat united. Champaign, Stark, 

 Highland, Ottawa. 



