MELANTHACEAE. 69 



2. HETEKANTHERA E. & P. Plants of muddy places, with rootstocks 

 from which arise short branches bearing a cluster of leaves and a peduncle 

 with a bract. Spadix l-few-flowered. Perianth white or blue, the calyx-lobes 

 narrower than the corolla-lobes. Stamens 3, unequal, 1 of them with a longer 

 filament and a larger anther than the others: anthers versatile. Ovary 3-celled: 

 styles barely if at all thickened under the stigma. Ovules numerous. Capsule 

 many-seeded. 



1. H. reniformis R. & P. Leaf-blades reniform or orbicular-reniform, 1.5-6 

 cm. broad: spadix 2-5-flowered : perianth white or blue; tube 7-10 mm. long: 

 capsules mostly ] cm. long. — Susquehanna valley. Common, in shallow places 

 in the river. — Sum. — Mud-plantain. 



3. PONTEDERIA L. Bog herbs. Leaf-blades narrow or broad, on taper- 

 ing petioles. Spadix many-flowered. Perianth 2-lipped, the lobes nearly equal. 

 Anthers versatile. Ovary 1-celled. Seed solitary. 



1. P. cordata L. Leaves with tapering petioles and deltoid to ovate blades 

 10-20 cm. long: perianth bright-blue or white; tube 7-10 mm. long; limb 3-5 

 mm. broad, the lobes shorter than the tube, the upper one with 2 yellow spots. — 

 Susquehanna valley. Common, in shallow water. — Sum. — Pickerel-w^eed. 



Order LILIALES. 



Relatively fleshy, gi'ass- or sedge-like herbs, rarely vines or trees. 

 Leaves various, mostly with flat blades, sometimes scale-like or terete. 

 Flowers perfect, polygamous, or dioecious, complete, regular or in few 

 cases irregular. Perianth of 3 or 6 members, or rarely of 4, these more or 

 less readily distinguished into calyx and corolla, sometimes partially 

 united. Gynoecium of 3, or rarely 2, united carpels. Ovary superior or 

 nearly so. Fruit various, commonly a capsule or a berry, sometimes 

 berry-like. 



Styles present, distinct or united : stigmas terminal. 



Styles distinct: capsule septicidal and rarely also loculicidal. 



Fam. 1. MELANTHACEAE. 



Styles united, often very short or obsolete during 

 anthesis : capsule primarily loculicidal. 

 Sepals or petals chaffy. Pam. 2. Juncaceae. 



Sepals and petals not chaffy. 



Herbs with bulbs, corms or rootstocks. 

 Plants with bulbs or corms. 



Flowers in umbels, at first included 

 in and later subtended by a scari- 



ous involucre. Fam. 3. Alliaceae. 



Flowers solitary or racemose without 



an involucre. Fam. 4. Liliaceae. 



Plants with elongate rootstocks. Fam. .5. Convallariaceae. 



Shrubby plants with woody caudices, or 



trees. Fam. G. Dracaenaceab. 



Styles wanting : stigmas introse, sometimes elongate. 



Flowers perfect : bracts whorled. Fam. 7. Trilliaceae. 



Flowers dioecious : bracts alternate. Fam. 8. Smilacaceae. 



Family 1. MELANTHACEAE. Bunch-flower Family. 



Pex-ennial herbs with long or short rootstocks. Leaves alternate, 

 sometimes all basal: blades flat or plicate. Flowers borne in a terminal 

 simple or branched inflorescence, or solitary. Perianth of 3 sepals and 



