ASPHODELE^. 207 



ScHOLLERA. Sclireb. 3. 1. 



Spathe 1 -flowered ; tube of the flower very long and slender, 

 with the limb deeply 6-parted ; capsule 1 -celled. It is the genus 

 Leptanthus of INI x., named from the Greek for slender flower ; 

 named Schollera in honor of a German botanist, F. A. Scholler. 



S. graminea. Vahl. Grows in waters, grass-like, slender, 

 with a stem 6-8 inches long ; leaves sessile, linear, grassy ; 

 spathe 1 or 2-flowered ; flowers bright-yellow ; July. 



ORDER 247. ASPHODELE^. 



One floral envelope, forming the corolla of the Linnaean bot- 

 anists, 6-parted or 6-cleft, regular, after bursting forth from a 

 spathe or closely-enclosing leafy or membranous covering ; sta- 

 mens 6 on the perianth or corolla ; ovary superior, 3-celled ; fruit 

 mostly a 3-celled, 3-valved capsule ; leaves with parallel veins. 



The members of this family are widely spread over the world, 

 especially in the temperate climes. Many are cultivated for their 

 great beauty ; some for use or food. A gummy juice, containing 

 a little stimulant in very variable proportions, is common to many 

 species, and forms valuable gums, as aloes, gum-dragon, &c. 



ASPHODELUS. L. 6. 1. 



Named from its unsurpassed beauty. 



*^. luteus, L., and *^. ramosus, L. King's Spear. Have been 

 considered beautiful garden plants ; from the South of Europe ; 

 the former has 3-sided leaves, and the latter has sword-form 

 leaves. 



Ornithogalum. L. 6. 1. Star of Bethlehem. 



No known reason for its name, from the Greek, for bird and 

 milk. 



O. umhellatum, L. A handsome spring plant of the gar- 

 dens, with fine flowers ; from En,2;land. Naturalized in some 

 places. 



*o' 



