286 



SMILACE^. [Hyacinthus. 



2. Scilla. Linn. Squill. 



Perianth inferior, of six leaves, petaloid, spreading and deci- 

 duous. Filaments filiform, glabrous, inserted at the base of 

 the perianth. (Flowers racemed.) — Name, from gkvWw, to 

 injure : in Arabic also, dsgyl. The root of S. maritima is 

 said to be highly poisonous, and a valuable medicine. 



Hexandria. Monogynia. 



1. S. verna, Huds. Vernal Squill. Bulb coated ; raceme in 

 an hemispherical corymb, few-flowered ; bracteas lanceolate, 

 obtuse ; leaves linear, channelled. Br. Fl. 1. p. 156. E. Fl. 

 v. ii. p. 145. E. Bot. t. 23. 



Maritime situation?. On Howth, Ireland's Eye, Killiney-hill, and 

 other places on the eastern coast. Fl. April. %. — Plant four to five 

 inches high. Leaves few, nearly as long as the scape. Flowers fra- 

 grant, deep blue. 



3. Hyacinthus. Linn. Hyacinth. 



Perianth inferior, of one piece, petaloid, 6-cleft, or 6-parted, 

 tubular, reflexed at the extremity. Stamens inserted upon 

 the segments, included. — Named from the youth Hyacinthus, 

 who, being killed by Apollo, was changed by him into a 

 plant, whose foliage bore the initials of his name. Our only 

 British species, having no such mark or figure, was hence 

 called non-scriptus. Hexandria. Monogynia. 



1. H. non-scriptus, Linn. Wild Hyacinth or Hare-bell. 

 Flowers in a raceme, drooping ; perianth 6-partite, the extre- 

 mities reflexed; bracteas in pairs. Br. Fl. I. p. 156. — Scilla 

 nutans, E. Bot. t. 377. E. Fl. v. ii. p. 147. 



Woods, copses, and groves, frequent. Fl. May. 7; Flowers 



blue, varying with white or more rarely rose-coloured flowers. Leaves 

 long, linear, channelled, acuminate. Scape one foot high, with two 

 bracteas at the base of each short pedicel. The habit of this plant, as 

 Dr. Hooker remarks, is surely more the habit of the H. orientalis than 

 of any true Scilla. 



Ord. 85. SMILACEiE. Br. Smilax Family. 



Flowers perfect or dioecious. Perianth free, petaloid, 6-parted. 

 Stamens six, inserted near the base upon the lacinise, rarely 

 hypogynous. Ovary 3-celled, with the cells 1- or many-seeded : 

 style mostly trifid : stigmas as many as there are styles, or divi- 

 sions of the styles. (The parts of the flower are quaternary in 



