MELANTHACE^. 



stigmas short, simple. Capsules 3, turgid, united at the base. Seeds 

 ovate, covered with a pulpy coat, which becomes bright scarlet when 

 ripe. Torrey. — This plant is a narcotic poison, and used in the 

 southern states of America for destroying flies. 



1242. H. dioica Pursh fl. am. i. 243. Torrey fl. i. 370.— 

 H. lutea Hort. Kew. ii. 230. Bot. Mag. t. 1062. H. pumila 

 Jacq. ic. rar. ii. t. 453. Veratrum luteum Linn. sp. pi. 1479. 

 Melanthium dioicum Walt. car. p. 126. M. densum Lam. enc. 

 iv. 26. — In wet meadows and bogs, common in hilly and moun- 

 tainous situations in the United States. (Unicorn's horn, Devil's 

 bit.) 



Root large, praemorse. Stem 1-2 feet high, simple, very smooth, 

 slightly angular. Leaves lanceolate, acute ; the radical ones broader. 

 Flowers dioecious and polygamous, in long spike-like racemes. $ 

 petals linear-spathulate, obtuse, 1-nerved, white. Stamens rather 

 longer than the petals ; filaments subulate ; anthers terminal, 2-lobed. 

 Ovary entirely wanting. $ raceme becoming erect, generally few- 

 flowered. Petals linear. Stamens very short, abortive. Ovary ovate, 

 subtriangular, with the sides deeply furrowed ; stigmas 3, spreading 

 or reflexed. Capsule ovate-oblong, 3-furrowed, opening at the sum- 

 mit. Seeds many in each cell, acute, compressed. Torrey. — The root 

 in infusion is anthelmintic ; in tincture bitter and tonic. DC. 



GYROMIA. 



Perianthium 6-parted, revolute. Stamens 6, distinct. Stig- 

 mas 3, filiform, divaricating, united at the base. Berry 3-celled ; 

 cells 5-6-seeded. Seeds compressed, triangular. 



1243. G. virginica Nutt. gen. i. 288. Torrey fl. i. 374. — 

 Medeola virginiana Linn. sp. pi. 483. Bot. Mag. t. 1306. — 

 Moist woods in the United States. (Indian Cucumber.) 



Rhizoma oblong, tuberous, horizontal. Stem erect, simple, about 

 18 inches high, clothed with a brownish deciduous wool. Leaves in 2 

 whorls ; 1 a little above the middle, of 6-8 ovate-lanceolate, acuminate 

 leaves ; the other terminal, of 2-3 ovate ones, all of them entire, mem- 

 branaceous, 3-nerved. Flowers 3-6, on aggregated pedicels arising 

 from the upper whorl, and reflexed down between the leaves. Corolla 

 pale yellow ; petals oblong, obtuse, longitudinally nerved. Stamens 

 rather shorter than the petals, filaments capillary, smooth ; anthers 

 oblong, incumbent, 2-celled. Stigmas thick, very long. Torrey. — The 

 rhizoma is diuretic and has some reputation as a hydragogue ; but it is 

 not supposed to possess much energy. 



TRILLIUM. 



Sepals 3, herbaceous. Petals 3, coloured. Stigmas 3, ses- 

 sile. Berry superior, 3-celled ; cells many-seeded. 



1244. T. erectum Linn. sp. pi. 484. Torrey fl. i. 376. — 

 T. rhomboideum Michx.fl. i. 215. T. atropurpureum Bot. Mag. 



588 



