V 



HEXANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 235 



Species. 1. X. asphodeloides. Hab. In New Jersey, and 

 also very abundant on the summit of the Catawba ridg-e. 

 North Carolina. The dilation of the filaments towards the 

 base, the disposition of the stales, or rather stigmas, and 

 the opening of the capsule by 3 external sutures in the 

 centre of each cell, in place of the internal margins of the 

 cells or capsules, are characters of much more importance 

 than those which separate /feifo^mi' and Veratrnm. 2. tenax. 

 Pursh, 1. p. 243. — In the Northern Andes or Rocky Moun- 

 tains, o. gramineum, {Helonias gramiiiea, Bot. Mag. 1599.) 



A North American genus, somewhat allied to Asphode- 

 lus? 



S48. TOFIELDIA. Hudson. 



Calix trifid. Fetals 6. Capsules 3, superior, 

 united at the base, many-seeded. Seeds naked, 

 (angularly grooved?) SUjles vertical, very short. 



Roots aggregate, partly horizontal; leaves irideous; 

 spike siiort and dense; pedicells solitary, minutely brac- 

 teate at the base. 



Species. 1. T. * glabra ^ leaves equitant, irideous; scape 

 terete, smooth; spike short, dense, and oblong, bracies 

 acute, very small; peduncles solitary, angular, about the 

 length of the flowers; petals oblong-ovate, subacute; styles 

 none; capsules distinct, membranaceous, equal in length 

 with the corolla. — Hab. In swamps near Wilmington, N. 

 Carolina. Obs, Much more robust than T. palustris, and 

 the scape not so far exceeding the leaves. Roots fascicu- 

 lated horizontal; leaves linear, ensilorm; scape 8 or 10 

 inches higli, solid, rather thick tlian sU-nder, nearly naked, 

 or w ith a single leaf; spike 10 to 15 lines long; flowers 

 crowded, numerous, (30 or more); bractes extremely mi- 

 nute; raciiis excavated opposite the pedicells. Calicle 3- 

 toothed. I'etals greenish white, like those o\' llelonias in 

 their form and disposition. Filaments of the stamina equal 

 with the petals and germ, subulate, flat, and considerably 

 dilaied; anthers oblong, ck-fi at the base. Styles none; 

 stigmas flat and circular, sessile Capsules 3, distinct to 

 the base, whitish, membranaceous, somewliat gibbously 

 cymbiform, internal miu-gins closed and bordered, points 

 entire; 6 to 8 seeded. Seeds linear-oblong, a little curved, 

 small and brownish-yellow, marked with 5 or 6 longitu- 

 dinal and angular ridges. 



§ 11. * Triantha.I Ca/>s?//e coriaceous, subglobose, 

 tnlocular, valves 3, bifid at the apex. Styles coiit-uous. 



t *'i(Sm the tioweis bemg aggregated upon ihe spike by 33. 



