556 CLV. MELANTHACE^. Melanthium. 



3. HETERANTHERA. R. &P. 



dr. irepa, otherwise, avrjp ; the anthers being dissimilar in the same flower. 



Spathe several-flowered ; tube of the perianth long and slender, 

 limb 6-parted, equal ; stamens 3 ; anthers of 2 forms ; capsule 3- 

 celled, many-seeded ; dissepiment contrary. 



H. RKNiFORMis. R. & P. (Lcptanthiis. Michx.) 



St. prostrate or floating ; lis. suborbicular, renitbrm or auriculate at base ; 

 spalfie acuminate, few-flowered. — On muddy or inundated banks, Mid. and W. 

 States. Stem 4' to a foot or more in length. Leaves i' by f ', on petioles 1 — 2' 

 long, with a broad sinus at ba.se and a short, abrupt acuraination. Spathe 

 clo.sely enveloping the 2 or 3 very evanescent, white flowers. Tube of the peri- 

 anth i' long, limb in 6 oblong segments. Filaments inserted at the orifice, 2 of 

 the anthers small, round, yellow, the other oblong, greenish. Jl. Aug. 



Order CLY. MELANTHACE^.— Melanths. 



Herhs perennial, with bulbs, rhizoma.s. corms or fasciculated roots. 



Sf simple, often scapiform. Lvs. parallel-veined. Fls. perfect, or (by abortion) polygamous. 



Perianth reeular, in 2 series, each of 3 segments which are distinct or united at base, generally involute 



Sm. 6, with extrorse anthers. ,. ., , tin aestivation. 



Ova. 3-celled, 9-many-ovuled. Styles distinct or 0. Stigmas undmded. 



P;-.— Capsule or berry 3-celled, generally with septicidal dehiscence. 



Seeds with a membranous testa, and dense, fleshy albumen. 



Genera 30, species 130, rather generally diffused in northern countries. 



Proper? Jes.— The order is generally pervaded by drastic, narcotic and poisonous qualities, most power- 

 ful in Veratrum and Colchicum. The corms and seeds of the latter are the most important medicinal 

 products of the order. Their virtue is due to an alkaline principle called veratria, which is found in thi.s 

 genus, as well as in most of the others. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 



4 Sepals and petals sessile. Zigadenus. 1 



fwith 2 glands at base. {Sepals and petals unguiculate Melanthium. 2 



K Perianth calyculate. . Tofieldia. 7 



I ( Leaves linear. ( Perianth naked. . Ainiatithium. 4 



) (Flowers perfects Leaves setaceous, dry. . . . Xerophyllum.^ 



Sepals and I \ or dicRcious. . . ( Leaves dilated Helonias. 6 



petals each I without glands. ( Flowers polygamous. Racemes compound. . . . Veratruvu 3 



1. ZIGADENUS. Michx. 



Gr. ^Evyog, a pair, airjv, a gland ; alluding to the glands of the segment. 



Perianth deeply 6-parted, spreading, colored, each segment with 2 

 glands above its contracted base ; stamens inserted in contact with 

 the ovary ; capsule membranaceous, 3-celled, many-seeded. 

 1, Z. Gi..\BERRiMus. Michx. Zigadene. 



Rt. bulbous ; St. leafy ; lvs. linear;' channeled, recurved ; brads ovate, acu- 

 minate ; segments of the perianth, acuminate. — Wet meadows, N. York. Found 

 near Rochester. Eaton. Southern States. Stem 2 — 3f high. Lower leaves 

 about 10' long; upper ones gradually diminishing, all concave and spreading. 

 Panicle terminal, loose, consisting of .several greenish-white flowers. Sepals 

 ovate-lanceolate, free from the stamens, with the 2 glands at the ba.se of each 

 distinct and conspicuous. June. 



2. Z. GLAUCUs. (Z. cloranthus. Rich. Melanthium. Nutt.) 

 St. bulbous, nearly naked ; Zrs. shorter than the stem, linear, rather ob- 

 tu.se; rac. subsimple ; bracts lanceolate, shorter than the pedicels; sep. and pet. 

 oval or obovate, obtuse, each with an ohcordate gland. — Sandy shores. Can. to 

 Ark.. Niagara, Lake Erie, Niittatl. Stem 10 — 15' high. Leaves glaucous, up- 

 per gradually reduced to bracts. Raceme subsimple, sometimes a little com- 

 pound at ba.se. Flowers few (10 — 20), greenish-white, on pedicels 1' long, the 

 segments Avith the 2 glands united. Capsule oblong-ovoid, carpels divergent at 

 apex, 6 — 8-seeded. July, Aug. 



2. MELANTHIUM. 



Gr. /itXa J, black, av^oi ; alluding to the dark color of the flower. 



Flowers monoecious-polygamous : perianth rotate, 6-partedj seg 



