556 CLV. MELANTHACE^. Melanthium. 



3. HETERANTHJBRA. R. & P. 



Gr. Ircpa, otherwise, avrip; 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. RENiFORMis. R. & P. (Leptanthus. Michx.) 



St. prostrate or floating; ?vs. suborbicular, renilbrmor auriculate at base; 

 spathe acuminate, few-flowered. — On mnddy 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 base and a short, abrupt acumination. Spathe 

 closely 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 CLV. MELANTHACE^.— Melanths. 



Herbs perennial, with bulbs, rhizomas, corms or fasciculated roots. 



St simple, often scapiform. Lvs. parallel-veined. F!s. perfect, or (by abortion) polygamous. 



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



Sta. 6, with extrorse anthers. [in aestivation. 



Ova. 3-celled, 9— manyovuled. Styles distinct or 0. Stigmas undivided. 



Fr.— 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. 



Properties.— The order is generally peri'aded 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 %irtue is due to an alkaline principle called veratria, which is found in this 

 genus, as well as in most of the others. 



Conspectus of the Genera. 



< Sepals and petals sessile. Zigadenvs. 1 



r with 2 glands at base. < Sepals and petals unguiculate Melanthium. 2 



i Perianth calyculate. . Tqfieldia. 7 



J ( Leaves linear. < Perianth naked. . Amianthium. i 



1 ( Flowers perfect' Leaves setaceous, dry. . . . Xerophyllum.5 



Sepals and I < or diopcious. . . ( Leaves dilated Helonias. 6 



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



1. ZIGADENUS. Michx. 



Gr. ^cvyos, a pair, aSr]v, 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. GLABERRiMus. Michx. Zigadenc.. 



/?«. bulbous; St. leafy; lvs. linear, channeled, recurved; bracts OY&ie, acn- 

 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 base of each 

 distinct and conspicuous. June. 



2. Z. GLAucus. (Z. cloranthus. Rich. Melanthium, Nutt.) 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 segments with the 2 glands united. Cap.sule oblong-ovoid, carpels divergent at 

 apex, 6 — 8-seeded. July, Aug. 



2. MELANTHIUM. 



Gr. ncSas, black, av^os ; alluding to the dark color. of the flower. 



Flowers monoecious-polygamous ; perianth rotate, 6-parted, seg 



