£20 HEXlNDRfA. MONOGYNIA. 



situations a few miles from St. Louis, Louisiana, and more 

 recently veiy plentiful on the lowest banks of tlie Ohio. 

 The late governor Lewis brought specimens of this plant 

 from the v'allies of the Kocky Mountains, and informs us 

 that the roots form a favourite article of diet amongst the 

 aborigines of the mountains. The distribution of this 

 plant from east to west is over an extent of more than 

 2000 miles, but from north to south not more than 300, 

 if so much. — This species appears to be somewhat allied 

 to P. glaiicum of Peru. 



2. croceum. Obs. Leaves arid, gramineous; raceme 

 few-flowered (10 to 12 or more), lower flowers half an 

 inch apart; bractes very obtuse and membranaceous, 

 about a line long, obvallate; pedicells erect, filiform, 

 •nearly an incli; flower about the size and colour of JVar- 

 theciiim americaiium, or saffron yellow, the centre of the 

 petals, particularly on the exterior, being deeper coloured 

 or brownish; petals, (or rather segments persistent,) 

 ovate-oblong, rather narrow, spreading; filaments of the 

 stamina subulate, smooth, somewhat shorter than the pe- 

 tals; anthers pale, oblong; style subulate, distinctly trifid 

 at the summit; stigm.ata subulate, connivent. As the 

 inflorescence differs so materially from Michaux's plant, 

 which he describes as producing "a pyramidal spike," 

 it may justly be doubted whether these remarks apply to 

 it, or to a distinct species; at all events I am fully satis- 

 fied that it is a Phalcmgium. 



This extensive genus is principally confined to the Cape 

 of Good Hope; there are, however, a few apecies in the 

 south of Europe, and 4 in Peru. 



322. NARTHECIUM. Z. 



Corolla inferior, petals 6, spreading, persis- 

 tent. Filaments filiform, hirsute. Capsule pris- 

 matic, 3-ce!led, many-seeded. Seeds filiformly 

 subulated at each extremity. Calioc none. 



Root fibrous; leaves small, ensiform; scape nearly naked, 

 flowers spiked, yellow. 



Species. 1. N. amencannm. Capsule subulate, twice 

 the length of the persistent corolla; seeds slender, sub- 

 terete, as long as the capsule, caudately subulated at 

 each extremity. 



Of this genus there is but another species, indigenous 

 to the turf morasses of the north of Europe. 



