22 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



The members of the grcnip often known as Melanthaceae 

 are least like liHes of an}- of the phmts usually included in tlie 

 i.iliaceae. The name of the group comes from one of its 

 genera, Mclanthium from the Greek inclas "black" and anthos 

 "flower." Since the flowers are yellowish, it is difficult to say 

 wliat Gronovius had in mind when he made the name. It is 

 sometimes suggested that the flowers turn darker after bloom- 

 ing i^nd thus account for the appellation. Another genus, 

 P'crainiiii has a significance nearly synonymous with Mclan- 

 tliiiiiji. This name is from the Latin z'era, "true," and atrium, 

 "black" l)ut it has no more reference to the color of the flower 

 tlian has the first, for the flowers in this genus are greenish. 

 The name is said In lia\ c l^elonged originalh- to the true helle- 

 bore {Hcllcbonis) and may once have had some other signifi- 

 cance. Other genera in this group have the Greek word for 

 flower combined with some modifier in their names, as Stcmin- 

 thUun meaning "slender flower" in reference to the slender 

 perianth segments, and yliiiiaiitliiiim meaning "unspotted," 

 either because of the glandless [jerianth or the pure wliite 

 flowers. Arniantliiiini. is sometimes called C/irosprniniiii 

 which means colored seeds. 



The pendulous flowers of Uvularia. a]ipear to have sug- 

 gested to Linnaeus the "soft palate" in man. lience the name 

 from ic'iila a palate. Another name b\- whicli the genus was 

 once known is Prosartcs meaning "to suspend." An early 

 New i\ngland botanist, William Oakes. is reiiiembered in the 

 Oakcsia b^• wliich.a section of I'rnlaria is sometimes known. 

 Tofieldia in a similar wa\- lionors an obscure botanist of the 

 ISth century who. Gra\- and P)ritton say was an b'nglishman 

 bni Wood more explicit, reports to be a Scotchman "residing 

 near I )oncaster." 



The curious little "devil's-bit" lias the name of Cluimuc- 

 lirion which is literallv "low lilv" in the Greek. It seems that 



