552 CLIII. LILIACEiE. Convallaria. 



Other ornamental species sometimes cultivated are H. botryoides, grape 

 hyacinth, with globose flowers ; H. comosus, purple grape hyacinth, with pris- 

 matic flowers ; and H. racemosus, hare-bell hyacinth, with ovoid flowers. 



Tribe 4. AXTHERICE^.— Stem subterraneous, or if developed, erect. Root 



fasciculate or fibrous. Leaves never coriaceous nor permanent. 



10. ASPHODfiLUS. 



Gr. a, privative, o-^aXXw, to surpass ; a flower not surpassed in beauty. 



Perianth G-parted, spreading, with 6 valves, covering the ovary ; 

 sta. issuing from the valves. — Fine garden 'plants^ native of S. Europe. 



1. A. LUTEUS. Ki7ig's Spear. Yellow Asphodel—St. leafy; Ivs. 3-cornered. 

 — % Native of Sicily. A plant of easy culture and rapid increase. Stem 3f 

 high, thickly invested with 3-cornered, hollow leaves. Flowers yellow, in a 

 long spike, reaching from the top almost to the base of stem. June. 



2. A. RAMosus. Branching Asphodel— St. naked, branched ; ped. alternate, 

 longer than bract ; Ivs. ensiform, carinate, smooth. — % Native of S. Europe. 

 Not so tall as the preceding, but with larger, white flowers. June. 



11. PHALANGIUM. Tourn. 

 Gr. <pa\av^, tarantula, a venomous species of spider, whose bite it was supposed to cure. 



Perianth 6-parted, petals and sepals similar, spreading ; filaments 

 6, smooth; caps, free from the perianth, ovoid ; seeds angular. — % 

 Lvs. flat, linear. Fls. small., white or bluish. 



P. EscuLENTUM. Nutt. EscuUnt Phalangium. Quamash. 

 St. bulbous ; lvs. all radical, linear, carinate at base ; sta. subexserted ; 

 stig. minutely 3-cleft. — Wet prairies, along rivers, lakes. Wis. Lapham! 111. 

 Jenney! Ind. Skinner! &c. An interesting little plant, usually in thick grass. 

 Bulb 1 — U' diam., resembling a small onion. Scape 1— 2f high. Leaves 

 nearly as long as the scape, grass-like, 3" wide, smooth. Raceme short, pedi- 

 cels longer than the flowers, each with a subulate bract. Petals and sepals 

 pale blue, about 3" long. Anthers oblong, small, yellow. Seeds black. May. 

 Tribe 5. CONVAIiLARIlVEJE.— Stem arising from a horizontal rhizoma 



or tuber. 

 12. CONVALLARIA. 



Lat. convallis, a valley ; the locality of some species. 



Perianth 4 — 6-parted, segments spreading ; stamens 4 — 6, diver- 

 gent, arising from the base of the segments ; berry globose, 2—3- 

 celled. — Plants somewhat various in habit., with simple stems and 

 alternate leaves. Fls. in terminal racemes or umbels j reddish or green- 

 ish-white. 

 § 1. Majantheivium. Perianth ^-parted. Stamens 4. Berry 2-celled. 



1 C. BiFOLiA. (Smilacina. Desf. St}Tandra. Raf.) Two-leaved Solo- 

 mon's Seal— Lvs. 2—3, cordate, ovate ; fls. in a terminal raceme ; If Is. of the 

 perianth spreading— Tj. A small plant, frequent along the edges of woodlands, 

 Can., N. Eng., W. to Wis. ! Stem angular, about 6' high. Leaves 2, rarely 

 3 about 2' long, * as wide, ovate, distinctly cordate, sessile, or the lowest on a 

 petiole. Raceme terminal, erect, an inch long, consisting of 12—20 white 

 flowers. Berry small, round, and when mature pale red, speckled with deep 

 red. May. 

 § 2. Smilacina. Perianth 6-parted. Stamens 6. Berry 3-celled. 



2. C. TRiFOLiATA. (Smilaciua. Desf.) Three-leaved Solomon's Seal. 



jji-^, 3_4, oval-lanceolate, tapering to both ends, amplexicaul; rac. termi- 

 nal simple.— 7]. A delicate little species in mountain swamps. Can. N. Eng. 

 (rare) W. to Wis. ! Stem 3—5' high, pubescent, angular. Leaves 2— 3r 



