Mo. by T. pusillum Michx. var. ozarkanum (Palm. & Steyerm.) Steyerm., which 

 lacks the upper epidermal stomates in the bracts, has thicker rhizomes, and grows 

 in relatively dry rocky woods. 



2. Trillium recurvatum Beck. 



Scapes (1.5-) 2-4 (-5) dm. tall; bracts with a petiole 1-3 cm. long, narrowly 

 lanceolate to ovate, acute to slightly acuminate, obscurely mottled with dark- 

 green, (5-) 7-11 (-18) cm. long, (2-) 4-8 (-12) cm. wide; flower sessile or sub- 

 sessile (pedicel not more than 3 mm. long); sepals abruptly recurved, narrowly 

 lanceolate, acute, (1.5-) 2-3 (-A) cm. long, 5-10 mm. wide; petals erect, lanceo- 

 late to oblanceolate, acute, distinctly clawed, purple or yellowish-green, (2-) 

 2.5-4 (-5) cm. long, (6-) 10-20 (-26) mm. wide; stamens erect, (8-) 10-15 (-20) 

 mm. long, the filaments straight and almost as long as the strongly incurved anther 

 connectives; gynoecium height about even with the bases of the anthers, the 

 prominently 6-winged angular-ovoid ovary (3-) 4-6 (-8) mm. in height and the 

 divergent-spreading stigmas about as long; fruit transversely angular-ovoid, dis- 

 tinctly winged, about 15 mm. in diameter. 



Rare on alluvial banks in rich woods and along streams in e. Okla. and e. Tex. 

 (Nacogdoches and Rusk cos.), Mar.-May; widespread n. into la. and Wis., n.e. 

 into Ky. and Ind. 



Forma Shayi Palm. & Steyerm. Flowers lacking purple pigments; petals yellow 

 or greenish-yellow; stamens and carpels greenish; occurring with the typical form. 



12. Aletris L. Colic-root. Star-grass 



Perennial and smooth stemless herbs, very bitter, with a short and thick 

 rhizome and a spreading rosette of thin and flat lanceolate leaves; flowers small, 

 in a spikelike raceme that terminates a slender nearly naked scape; perianth 

 tubular to campanulate, wrinkled and roughened outside by thickly set points, the 

 tube adhering to the base of the ovary, 6-cleft at the summit; stamens 6, inserted 

 at the summit of the perianth tube; filaments and anthers short, included; style 

 subulate, 3-cleft at the apex; stigmas minutely 2-lobed; capsule ovoid, beaked, 

 enclosed in the persistent withered perianth; seeds numerous, minute, costate. 



About 25 species in Asia and North America. 



1. Perianth white, 8-9 mm. long, the lance-oblong lobes recurved-spreading 



1. A. farinosa. 



1. Perianth yellow, about 7 mm. long, the ovate lobes erect 



2. A. aurea. 



1. Aletris farinosa L. Unicorn-root. Fig. 338. 



Leaves firm, to 2 dm. long; scapes to 1 m. high, usually much smaller, with 

 remote small bracts; raceme to 3 dm. long, densely to subremotely flowered; 

 bracts linear or clavate; perianth tubular, 8-9 mm. long, whitish, with granulate 

 surface, its lance-oblong lobes somewhat recurved-spreading, marcescent, shrink- 

 ing at maturity and thus often exposing the long abrupt beaks that are about as 

 long as the plump body of the capsule. 



Dry or moist peats, savannahs and boggy areas, sands and gravels, rare in 

 e. Okla. (Delaware Co.) and s.e. Tex., Mar-May; from Fla. to Tex., n. to s.w. 

 Me., s. N.H., ccn. Mass., s.e. N.Y., s. Ont., Mich, and Wise. 



2. Aletris aurea Walt. Yellow star-grass. Fig. 338. 



Very similar to A. farinosa; leaves membranaceous, to 12 cm. long; scape to 

 8 dm. tall or more; raceme remotely flowered; perianth broadly campanulate, 

 about 7 mm. long, orange-yellow, not so roughened, its short-ovate lobes erect; 

 beaks of capsules included, about as long as the plump body. 



660 



