HEXANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 225 



There are but 2 other species of this genus as it is now 

 constituted, indigenous to Japan. 



5-30. SiMILAClNA. Defontaines, 



Corolla inl'ev'ioVf 6-parted, spreading. Fila- 

 ments divergent, attached to the hase of the la- 

 ciniae. Berry glohose, 3-celled. 



Flowers terminal, subumbellate, racemose or panicu- 

 late. Stems bifohate or fohose. (Filaments and anthers 

 distinct.) 



Species. 1. S. jwibellata. Flowers white, spotted with 

 brown. 2. borealis. Leaves radical. Roots fibrous, sto- 

 loniferous. Flowers greenish, nodding. Berries of both 

 these species azure blue, and opaque. The whole plant, 

 as well as the preceding, sweetish and gramineous to the 

 taste. 3. canadensis. Flowers tetrandrous. Stem 2, rarely 

 3-leaved. Berries red; punctate, pellucid. — Almost uni- 

 formly occurring under the shade of the Abies canadensis 

 or Spruce. A mere variety of S. bifoUa? 4. trifoUa. v. v. 

 Near Green-bay, Lake Michigan. 5. stellata. v. v. Abun- 

 dant on the banks of Lake Erie (Ohio,) and on the Mis- 

 souri to the Mandans. 6.ciliata. -j-. T.racemosa. Berries 

 scarlet, pellucid. 



A North American genus, with the exception of S. bifo- 

 Ua, also indigenous to the shady forests of Europe. 



331. POLYGONATUM. Desfontaines (Solo- 

 mon's-Seal.) 



Corolla inferior, 6-cleft, cylindric. Filaments 

 inserted on the upper part of the tube. Berry 

 3-ceIIed; cells 2 seeded. 



Stems simple, angular, or terete. Flowers axillary, se- 

 cund; peduncles 2 or more flowered, nodding. 



Species. 1. P. angustifolium. 2. canuliculatum. 3. 

 pubesceHs A doubtful species. 4. hirtum. Stem angu- 

 lar, hispid. 5. multijlorum. Peduncles many-flowered, 

 stem round. (Cells of the germ mostly 4-seeded.) 6. la- 

 tifolium. Stem angular; peduncles ■*. or many-fl;)wered. 

 The largest species called " Wild Asparagus," and eaten 

 with safety. 



Of this genus there are 4 snecies in Europe, and 2 of 

 them common to the United States, viz. Nos. 5 and 6. 



