558 CLV. MELANTHACE^. Helonias. 



very slender, grass-like species, in woods, Western States. Stem 3f high, solid, 

 erect, with a virgate, thin panicle of greenish-white flowers. Leaves 1 — 2f by 



2 3'', half-clasping. Panicle IK long, the lateral racemes 1—3', the terminal 



one much longer ; pedicels shorter than the flowers, each with a very minute 

 bract. June, July. 



4. AMIANTHIUM. A. Gr. 



Gr. auiavTOS, pure, immaculate ; av^oi ; alluding to the white flowers. 



Flowers $ ; perianth segments scarcely united at base, petaloid, 

 spreading, sessile and without glands ; stam. 6, inserted with the 

 segments ; anthers^ reniform ; ovaries 3, more or less united ; caps. 

 3-lobed, 3-partible ;* carpels follicular, 1 — 4-seeded ; testa of the seeds 

 loose, at length fleshy. — Herbs with scapiform stems, grass-like leaves 

 aiid numerous white Jiowers. 



A. MusciToxiGUM. Gray. (Melanthium. Walt. Helonias erythrosperma. 



Mtchx.) Fly-poison.— St. bulbous; Ivs. flat, lower broad-linear, obtuse, 

 upper reduced to bracts; roc. simple; segrmnts oblong, obtuse; pedicels filiform; 

 carpels distinct above ; sty. divergent ; seeds ovoid, red.— Shady swamps, N. J., 

 Penn. and Southern States. Stem 1— 2f high. Leaves mostly radical, about 

 If long. Raceme 3—9' long, dense-flowered, pedicels 6—9" long. Peri- 

 anth and stamens white, the latter rather the longest. Carpels united only at 

 base, the summits horn-like and diverging. Seeds rather large, scarlet-red 

 when ripe. June, July. 



2. A. LEiMANTHoiDEs. Gray. 



Rt. fibrous ; Ivs. linear, flat ; panicle simple, terminal raceme elongated ; 

 segments of the perianth broad-oval, longer than the linear styles ; sds. winged 

 at the apex, lanceolate, compressed.— N. J. to La. Stem roundish, 2— 4f high, 

 the lower leaves about half as long, pale green, acute. Flowers white, on fili- 

 form pedicels, finally recurved. Segments of the perianth obtuse, a little shorter 

 than the capillary fdaments. July. 



5. XEROPHYLLUM. 



Gr. ^rtpos, dry, (pvWov, leaf. 



Flowers 5 ; leaflets of the perianth oval, spreading, petaloid, sessile 

 and without glands ; stam. 6 ; filaments dilated and contiguous at 

 base ; ovary subgloboso ; styles 3, linear, revolute ; caps, subglobose, 

 3-lobed, 3-celled, cells 2-seeded. — Herbs with numerous dry, setaceous 

 leaves. Racemes simple, with white, showy flowers. 



X. ASPHODELoiDEs. Nutt. (X. setifolium. Michx. Helonias asph. Lin7i.) 

 Lvs. radical and cauline, rigid, diminishing above ; pedicels with 2 alter- 

 nate bracteoles, bractless at base ; filaments at length equaling the segments of 

 the perianth.— Sandy plains, N. J. to Car. Stem 3— 5f high, very leafy. Radi- 

 cal leaves If long, very narrow, crowded and caespitose. Flowers m a long, 

 terminal raceme, numerous, small. Sepals and petals obtuse, the latter a little 

 longer. June. 



^ 6. HELONIAS. 



Gr. e\os, a marsh; where some species grow. 



Perianth 6-parted, spreading, petaloid. the segments sessile, and 

 without glands; styles 3, distinct ; capsule 3-celled, 3-horned ; cells 

 many-seeded. — Lvs. mostly radical, narrow, often gramineous, sheathing 

 at base. Fls. in a terminal, simple raceme. 



1. H. BULLATA. (H. latifolia. PA.) 



Ia-s. crowded, mostly radical, linear-spatulate, mucronate ; scape simple, 

 hollow, with few remote bracts, or naked ; rac. spicate, ovoid-cylindric, dense ; 

 anth. blue.— N. J., Penn. to Va. Scape 10—18' high, rather thick and fleshy. 

 Leaves about as long as the scape, 1— IV wide. Racemes short. Pedicels as 

 long as the flowers, colored. Flowers purple, segments obtuse. May. 



