538 CXLVII. AMARYLLIDACEiE. Amaryllis. 



bv 2—3', veined, alternate, clasping, pubescent. Flower mostly solitary. Seg- 

 ments 4, greenish, with purple stripes and spots, the lower one bifid, composed 

 of 2 uni'ted sepals, the two lateral ones 2—3' by i', waved and twisted. Lip a 

 large, inflated sac, bright yellow, spotted inside, with a roundish aperture 

 above. Mav, June. 



/?. pubcscciis. Leaves lanceolate; lobe of the column obtuse. The flowers 

 somewhat smaller. Meriden, N. H. 



4. C. spECTABiLE. Sw. S/wuy Ladies' -slipper. 



St. leafy ; lis. ovate-lanceolate, acmninate ; lobe of the column elliptic- 

 cordate, obtuse ; scp. broad-ovate, obtuse ; lip longer than the petals, cleft before. 



A tall, superb species, found in swamps. Can. to Ky. and Car, Stem thick, 



2 feet or more high, hairv. Leaves (i— 10' by 2—4', veined, plaited, hairy. 

 Flowers 2—3 on each plant, very large. Lip white, striped with purple, 2' 

 long, U broad; upper segment largest, lower one smaller, composed of 2 sepals 

 completely united. July. 



5. C. ARiETiNUM. Ait. (Arietinum Americanum. Beck.) Ram's-head. 

 SI. leafy ; Ivs. elliptical, striate-veined ; scp. 3, distinct (the 2 lower not 



united), linear-lanceolate, the upper oblong-ovate, acuminate; 2 lateral pet. 

 linear; lip as long as the petal, saccate, obconic— In damp woods. Can., 

 Maine, Vt. Stems usually clustered, flexuous, &— 12' high, lower part sheath- 

 ed. Leaves 3—5, 2—3' by §—1', sessile, amplexicaul. Flower mostly solitary, 

 with a leafy bract at base. Segments about equal in length, the upper one as 

 broad as the other 4 together. The singular form of the lip readily suggests 

 the name of this curious plant. May. 



Order CXLVII, AMARYLLIDACEJE.— Amaryllids. 



Herbs, perennial. Leaves parallel-veined. . ^ j •.,. .v u . 



Fls. showy, almost always either yellow or white, often on scapes and with spafhaceous bracts. 

 Perianth mostly regular, adherent to the ovary, colored, consisting of 3 sepals and 3 petals. 

 Sta. 6, ari.-iing tfom the perianth searments. Anthers iiitrorse. , . , 



Ova 3-celled. the cells many-ovuled (sometimes 1— s-ovuled). Style 1. Stig. 3-lobed. 

 Fr. a 3-celled capsule or berry. Seah with fleshy albumen. 



Genera 6S. species 400, chiefly tropical plants, most abundant in BrazU and S. Africa. Very few are 

 found in our climate. 



Properties —A few of the Amaryllidaceae possess poisonous properties, which is very rare among the 

 Endogens The Hottentots are said to poison their arrows by dipping them m the viscid juice of the 

 bulbs of Ha>manthus to.\icarius. The bulbs of Narcissus poeticus, and other species, are emetic. The 

 fermented juice of the Agave forms the intoxicating palque o{ihe Mexicans. Many are lughly oraa- 

 mental, and are therefore cultivated. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 



escape tall, with numerous flowers. Agave. 4 



C Corona 0. ^ Scape bearing 3— 5 small, yellow flowers Hypoxis. 5 



< Corona of 3 emarginate segments Gatanthns. 3 



Flowers regular. ( Corona monophyllous. Narcissus 2 



Flowers irregular. Stamens declined Amaryllis. 1 



1. AMARYLLIS. 



Lat Amaryllis, the name of a nymph, from afiapvarao)^ to shine with splendor. 



Perianth irregular, funnel-shaped, nodding ; filaments declined, 

 arising from the orifice, unequal in proportion or direction ; seeds 

 flat, numerous. — A splendid genus., with a few native and many 

 foreign species. 



1, A. At.\masco. Atamasco Lily. 



Spathe 2-clelt, acute ; fl. pedicelled ; cor. campanulate, with nearly equal 

 petals, suberect. — A pretty species found in Penn., south to Carolina, sometimes 

 cultivated. Leaves linear, a foot long. Scape round, 6' high. Spathe a little 

 colored, bifid at the summit. Flower large, solitary, white and pink. Sepals 

 acuminate. June. 



2. A. FORMosissiMA. Jncalca Lily. — Lvs. radical ; fls. nodding, very ringent, 

 tube fringed; sta. included in the involute lower segments. — A splendid flower, 

 from Mexico, often grown with us in large pots of light, loamy soil. Root 

 bulbous. Leaves^ thick, oblong, narrow. Scape a foot high. Spathe red, dis- 

 closing a .single large flower of a fine dark red color. Jn. — Aug. 



