HEXANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Narthecium. 151 



culated fibrous substance, the remains perhaps of the bulbs of 

 preceding years, one articulation being produced annually. 

 Herb smooth to the touch, but, with the exception of the lower 

 part of the stem, evidently covered with minute whitish tuber- 

 cles, resembling short close-pressed hairs. Radical leaves always 

 two in the flowering specimens, of a deep shining green, flaccid, 

 so as to be frequently bent downwards, semicylindrical, keeled, 

 with one rib on each side of the leaf. Flower erect, veined ex- 

 ternally, sometimes with purple, more frequently with green, 

 which after the impregnation changes to a purple. Petals bear- 

 ing a notched, yellow, nectariferous gland, a little way above 

 the claw, very con.spicuous in the living plant. Stamens certainly 

 not attached to the petals, though frequently coming off along 

 with them, owing to a part of the receptacle being also torn 

 away. The stem remains during the following summer, some- 

 times longer. June 15, 1825." 



194. NARTHECIUM. Bog-asphodel. 



Moehring in Eph. Nat. Cur. v. 6. 389. t. 5./. 1 . Huds. 145. Fl. Br. 

 368. Pursh 214. 



Nat. Ord. see n. 190. 



Cal. none. Petals 6, inferior, linear-lanceolate, spreading, 

 ribbed, membranous at the edges, permanent ; 3 of them 

 interior; all finally hardened, and converging round the 

 capsule. Filam. opposite to each petal, and not so long, 

 erect, awl-shaped, woolly all over, except a small space at 

 the top and bottom, permanent. Aiith. terminal, oblong, 

 converging, smooth ; finally twisted. Germ, superior, 

 oblong, triangular, tapering upwards into a short conical 

 style. Stigma simple. Caps, oblong, tapering, pointed, 

 bluntly triangular, with 3 intermediate furrows, 3 acute 

 rigid valves, and 3 cells, bearing central partitions, which 

 are joined at their base to the short central column. 

 Seeds numerous, erect, small, oblong, smooth, each in- 

 vested with a pale, membranous tiinic, tapering, and 

 greatly elongated, at each end, equalling the whole cap- 

 sule in length. 



Root creeping, perennial. Leaves sword-shaped, entire. 

 Stem simple, leafy. Cluster terminal, erect, many-flowered, 

 Bracteas 2 to each partial stalk. Fl. yellow. 



1. N. ossifiagu7}i. Lancashire Bog-asphodel. 

 Cluster uninterrupted. One bractea at the base, the other 



above the middle, of each partial stalk. 

 N. ossifragum. Huds. 145. With. 339. Fl.Br.368. Engl. Bot. 



v.S.t.o3D. Hook.Lond. t.\39. Scot. \ 03. Wahlenh. Lapp.78. 



