232 HEXASDIUA. TRIGliSIi. 



Spot. Filaments very slioFt, inserted upon tht 

 base of the petals. Jnthers sae:ittate, erect. 

 Stigma rellected. Capsule 3-ceiied. 



Bulb subglobose, solid. Leaf subsolitary, radical, gra- 

 mineous; scape about 3-flo\vered; flowers whiie, the inner 

 petals with a purple spot. Apparently allied to Hypojcis. 



Species. 1. C. elegans. Pursb, tlor. Am. 1. p. S40. 

 ■\Vithin the Noithern Andes or liocky Mountains. The 

 €nly species. 



343. MELANTIIIUM. L. 



Polygamous. — Culix none. Corolla rotate, 

 6-partcd: segments unguiculate, biglandulous 

 iAi the base, claws staminiferous. Capsule ex- 

 serted, subovate, apex partly trifid, 3-celled. 

 ^eeds many, membranaceously alated. 



Root (in the American species) truncate and horizontal 

 or rarely bulbous; leaves gramineous, flaccid; scape often 

 tall, and p\ ramidally paniculate; petals conspicuously ungu- 

 iculate, calicine, progessively changing colour, bimaculate. 



Species. 1. JM. virginicvm. 2. monoicum. 3. h.ybridxim. 

 Nearly allied to Veratmtm. Leaves elliptic-oblong, some- 

 vhat plaited. Upper part of the panicle feminine in an 

 elongated raceme; petals unguiculated, but without tjie 

 characteristic glandular spots, interior ones roundish ovate, 

 acute in the male, obtuse, and a little undulated in the 

 -• female, both nearly smooth. Stylesuncinate, a little short- 

 er than (he germ. Capsule large, appearing like 3 uni- 

 ted by the inner margins, cells 3, 5, and probably some- 

 times 6 seeded, seeds imbricated, flat, subelliptic, with a 

 double alated margin, about the size of the seeds of some 

 species of Finns, v. v. In tlie mountains of North Caro- 

 lina. 4. *gl(ntcum. Kcot a tunicaied bulb; leaves glau- 

 cous, gramineous, margina!ed; raceane mostly simple, 

 Jcvv-fiowered; flowers hermaphrcdite, petals roundish, un- 

 guiculate, bimaculate; seeds subulately alated. Hab. On 

 the gravelly banks of the St. Laurence in calcareous sod; 

 around the Cataract of Niagara, on the borders of Lakes 

 Erie, Huron and Michigan and up the Missouri to Fort 

 Mandan. It appears to be considerably allied to Antheri- 

 cum in habit; scarcely a foot high; leaves almost similar 

 to v1/. virg-inicum; flowers whitish, raceme sometimes a 

 little divided at the base. Flowering in July and Ati- 

 gust. 



