5^ CLV. MELANTHACEiE. Helonias. 



very slender, grass-like species, in -woods, Western States. Stem 3f high, solid, 

 erect, with a virgate, thin panicle of gi-eenish-white flowers. Leaves 1 — 2f by 

 2 — 3", half-clasping. Panicle IJf long, the lateral racemes 1 — 3', the terminal 

 one much longer ; pedicels shorter than the fl.owers, each with a very minuta 

 bract. June, July. 



4. A M I A N T H I U M. A. Gr. 



Chr. OfticwTOS, pure, immaculate ; avSo;; ; alluding to the white flowers. 



Flowers $ ; perianth segments scarcely united at base, petaloid^ 

 spreading^ sessile and without glands ; stam. 6, inserted with the 

 segments ; anthers reniform ; ovaries 3, more or less united ; caps, 

 o-lobed, 3-partible ; carpels follicular, 1 — 4-seeded ; testa of the seeds- 

 loose, at length fleshy. — Herbs loith scapiform stems, grass-like leaves 

 and numerous white flowers. 



A. MusciTOxicuM. Gray. (Melanthium. Walt. Helonias erythrosperma. 



Mich.z.) Fiy-jmison. — St. bulbous; Ivs. flat, lower broad-linear, obtuse,, 

 upper reduced to bracts; r«c. simple; segnients oblong, obtuse; fcdicels fiWiorm.-^ 

 carpels distinct above ; sty. divergent ; seeds ovoid, red. — Shady swamps, N. J., 

 Fenn. and Southern States. Stem 1 — 2£ high. Leaves mostly radical, about 

 If long. Raceme 3 — 9' long, dense-flowered, pedicels 6 — 9" long. Peri- 

 anth and stamens white, the latter rather the longest. Carpels united only at 

 base, the summits horn-like and diverging. Seeds rather large, scarlet^red 

 when ripe. June, July. 



2. A. LEiMANTHoiDEs. Gray. 



Rt. fibrous; Ivs. linear, flat; panicle simple, terminal raceme elongated; 

 segments of the perianth broad-oval, longer than the linear styles ; sds. winged 

 at the apex, lanceolate, compressed. — N. J. to La. Stem roundish, 2 — 4f high, 

 the lower leaves about half as long, pale green, acute. Flowers white, on fili- 

 form pedicels, finally recurved. Segments of the perianth obtuse, a liitle shorter 

 tlian the capillary filaments. July. 



5. XEROPHYLLUM. 



G/'. ^^po;^ dry, cduXXov, leaf. 



Mowers 5 ; leafl:ets of the perianth oval, spreading, petaloid, sessile: 

 and without glands ; stam. 6 ; filaments dilated and contiguous at 

 base ; ovary subglobosc ; styles 3, linear, revolute ; caps._ subglobose,. 

 3-lobed, 3-celled, cells 2-seeded. — Herbs icith numerous dry., setaceous 

 leaves. Racevies simple., with white, sliowy flowers. 



X. ASPHODELoiDEs. Nutt. (X. sctifolium. Michx. Hel-onias asph. Ldnn.y. 



LlVS. radical and eauline, rigid, diminishing above ; pedicels with 2 alter- 

 nate bracteoles, bractless at base ; filaments at length equaling the segments of 

 the perianth. — Sandy plains, N. J. to Car. Stem 3— 5f high, very leafy. Radi- 

 cal leaves If long, very narrow, crowded and csespitose. Flowers in a long^ 

 tenninal raceme, numerous, small. Sepals and petals obtuse, the latter a little 

 longer. June. 



6. HELONIAS. 



G-r. l\o;, a marsh; where some species grow. 



Perianth 6-parted, spreading, petaloid. the segments sessile, and 

 without glands; styles 3, distinct ; capsule o-celled, 3-horned ; cells 

 many-seeded. — Lvs. mostly radical, narrow, often graimneous, sheathing 

 a-t base. Fls. in a terminal, siviple raceme: 



1. H. BULLATA. (H. latifolia. PA.) 



Lvs. crov/ded, mostly radical, linear-spatulate, mucronate ; scape simple, 

 bollow, with few remote bracts, or naked ; rac. spieate, ovoid-cylindi'ic, dense 5 

 li'ith. blue. — N. J., Penn. to Va. Scape lO — 18' high, rather thick and fleshy. 

 liCaves about as long as the scape,! — 1^' wide. Racemes short. Pedicels as 

 l(>ng as the flowers, colwed. Flowers purple, segments obtuse. May. 



