70 MELANTHACEAE. 



3 petals. Androecium of 6, or rarely 9-12 stamens. Gynoeeium 3-carpel- 

 lary: styles distinct. Fruit capsular, septicidal and rarely also loculicidal. 



Plants with dioecious flowers : anthers oblong or ovoid. 1. Chamaelirium. 



Plants with perfect or polygamo-monoecious flowers : anthers 

 cordate or reniform. 

 Sepals and petals glandless. 



Inflorescence racemose : flowers perfect. 2. Cheospeema. 



Inflorescence paniculate : flowers polygamo-monoecious. 



Ovary wholly superior : styles slender : petals obtuse. 3. Veratkum. 

 Ovary inferior at the base : styles very short and 



stout : petals acuminate. 4. Stenanthium. 



Sepals and petals with glands at or near the base. 5. Mblanthium. 



1. CHAMAELIRIUM Willd. Fleshy caulescent herbs. Leaves relatively 

 few, the cauline much narrower than the basal. Flowers dioecious, in a bracted 

 spike or raceme. Sepals and petals clavate-spatulate, those of the staminate 

 flowers much longer than those of the pistillate, all 1-nerved. Ovules 6-12 in 

 each cavity. 



•1. C. luteum (L.) A. Gray. Stem 2-12 dm. tall, simple: basal leaves spread- 

 ing; blades spatulate to oblong-spatulate, 5-20 cm. long: staminate perianth 

 white ; pistillate green : capsules 7-10 mm. long. — Common in moist thickets. 

 — Schists. — Sum. — Blazing-star. Devil 's-bit. 



2. CHBOSPEEMA Eaf. Stout caulescent herbs. Leaves many at the base 

 of the stem, few and small above; blades elongate, flat. Flowers perfect in a 

 thick raceme. Sepals and petals white, glandless. Carpels united below the 

 middle. Capsule with 3 spreading lobes. 



1. C. muscaetoxicum (Walt.) Kuntze. Stem 3-14 dm. tall, sparingly leafy: 

 leaf -blades linear: raceme 5-15 cm. long, about i as thick: sepals oval or sub- 

 orbicular, 3-3.5 mm. long: petals oblong, 4-5 mm. long: capsules broader than 

 high, the carpels turgid, 4-6 mm. long. — N. S. Not common, in thickets and 

 woods. — Sandstones and shales, schists. — Sum. — Crow-poison. 



3. VERATRUM [Tourn.] L. Coarse herbs. Leaves mainly cauline; 

 blades broad, plicate. Flowers polygamous or monoecious, paniculate, the pan- 

 icle-branches pubescent. Sepals and petals glandless, greenish, yellow, brown, 

 or purple, the latter larger than the former. Capsule narrow. Seeds winged. 



1. V. viride Ait. Stem 6-25 dm. tall: leaf -blades oval, or narrower on the 

 upper part of the stem: panicle-branches ascending: sepals and petals yellowish- 

 green: petals 11-14 mm. long. — N. S. Conunon, in swamps. — Sandstones and 

 shales, schists. — Spr. — Indian-poke. American white-hellebore. 



4. STENANTHIUM Kunth. Graceful caulescent herbs. Leaves mainly 

 basal: blades elongate, channeled. Flowers polygamous or monoecious, panicu- 

 late, the panicle-branches glabrous. Sepals and petals white or green, glandless. 

 Seeds angled. 



1. S. robustum S. Wats. Stem 10-20 dm. tall, stout: blades of the lower 

 leaves over 10 mm. wide: panicle plume-like: petals of the pistillate flowers 

 7-8 mm. long: capsules fully 10 mm. long, erect. — Extreme S. Eare, in swamps 

 near Pleasant Grove and New Texas. — Serpentine. — Sum. 



5. MELANTHIUM L. Coarse caulescent herbs. Leaves mainly basal: 

 blades linear or slightly dilated. Flowers monoecious or polygamous, panicu- 

 late, the panicle-branches pubescent. Sepals and petals white, cream-colored, 

 or greenish, each with 2 glands above the claw. Seeds winged. — Sum. — 

 Bunch-flower. 



