Hosta LILIACEAE Veratrum 



3. Hosta Tratt. Plantain-lily ^^Jg (Tzu O Shu) 

 Perennial herbs from cord-like fascicled roots: lvs. broad, several -ribbed, basal: 

 fls. large, in terminal racemes on several scapes, blue, lilac or ivhite: stamens equal 

 to or exceeding the perianth; anthers introrse: fr. an elongated loculicidal capsule. 10 

 species, in eastern Asia; 4 in China. (For N. T. Host, Austrian botanist and physician, 

 died 1834.) 



Key to the Species 



Fls. white, 8-12 cm. long: capsule 5-6 cm. long 1. H. plantaginea 



Fls. blue, purple or lilac, 4-5 cm. long: capsule about 3cm. long. 

 Lvs. lanceolate, tapering at both ends: perianth expanding gradually 



from the tube 2. H. Unwifolia 



Lvs. bioadly ovate, sometimes subcordate at base: perianth expand- 

 ing abruptly into the bell-shaped part of the fl 3. H. ventricosa 



1. Hosta plantaginea (Lam.) Aschers. Fragrant Plantain-Lily EEH7E (Yii Tsan 

 Hua; Jade-hairpin Flower) (B.M.206). Tufted, to lm.; fls. white, 8-12 cm. long, 

 IX; fr. X. Eastern Asia; locally in Hup., Ku. Moist shade. Fig. 475. 



2. Hosta lancifolia (Thunb.) Engl. Narrow-leaved Plantain Lily (B.M.207). Tufted, 

 5-8 dm. high; fls. lilac, VII. Japan, China; locally in An., Ki. Woodland shade. 



3. Hosta ventricosa (Salisb.) Stearn (H. caerulea (Andr.) Tratt.) Blue Plantain-Lily 



| (Tzu 0; Purple Calyx) (B.M.206). Tufted, to 1 m. high; fls. blue, 4-5 cm. 

 long, VII; fr. VIII. Eastern Asia; locally in An., Che., Ki., Ku. Moist shade. 



4. Veratrum Linn. False Hellebore WM.M (Li Lu Shu) 



Pubescent, perennial herbs from a thickened base (very poisonous) producing fibrous 

 roots and simple erect lfy. stems: lvs. broad, 3-ranked, plaited and strongly nerved: 

 fls. small, numerous, in terminal panicles: perianth greenish or brownish; anthers 

 extrorse: fr. a 3-lobed capsule with flat winged seeds. 50 species, in north temperate 

 regions; 5 in China. (Latin: vere, very and ater, black.) 



Key to the Species 



Fls. large, 15-20 mm. in diam., greenish white: all stem lvs. sessile 1. V. album 



Fls. smaller, 6-12 mm. in diam., brownish or purplish: lower stem lvs. 

 petiolate. 

 Lateral fig. racemes 8-15 cm. long; pedicels of the fls. 8-18 mm. long.. 2. V. oblougum 

 Lateral fig. racemes 3-8 cm. long: pedicels of the fls. 3-7 mm. long 3. V. schindleri 



1. Veratrum album Linn. WW (Li Lu) (B.C.3440). Stout perennial, 1 m. high; fls. 

 greenish white, VI-VII; fr. VII-VIII. Eurasia; locally in Ki. Moist meadows. 



2. Veratrum oblongum Loes.f. (Fe.R.24:68). Erect herb, 7-9 dm. high; fls. brown 

 or purplish, VII-VIII; fr. IX. Eastern and central China; locally in Hu., Ki. 

 Moist meadows. 



3. Veratrum schindleri Loes.f. (Fe.R.24:67). Erect herb, about 1 m. high; fls. 

 greenish or brownish, VII-VIII; fr. IX. East-central China; locally in An., Ki. 

 Moist woods. Fig. 476. 



Loesener (Verh. Bot. Ver. Brandenburg 68 (1926) 105-166) has described several new species 

 of Veratrum from central China. These differ from species recognized by Baker fjourn. Linn. 

 Soc. Bot. 17 (1879) 469-474) largely in size of leaves and perianth segments, and in length of 



510 



