76 CONVALLAEIACEAE. 



equal: style about as long as the ovary. — Occasional, in meadows and about 

 gardens. Nat. of Eu. 



5. HEMEEOCALLIS L. Acaulescent herbs, with thickened coated bulbs. 

 Leaf -blades elongate-linear. Perianth yellow or orange, funnelform, the lobes 

 broad, longer than the tube. Filaments adnate to the perianth-tube. 



1. H. fulva L. Plants 1-2 m. tall: leaf -blades mostly 1.5-2 cm. wide: peri- 

 anth mainly tawny-orange; tube about 3 cm. long: corolla-lobes 8-10 cm. long, 

 red near the center, orange near the tips, the margins involute, crisped : capsules 

 obovoid, 4-6 cm. long. — Common, in meadows and on roadsides. Nat. of Eu. 

 — Sum. — Day-lily. 



Family 5. CONVALLARIACEAE. Lily-of-the-valley Family. 



Perennial herbs, with rootstocks. Leaves alternate, sometimes all 

 basal, sometimes scale-like. Flowers in a terminal cluster, raceme, or 

 panicle, or axillaiy. Calyx of 2 or 3 sepals. Corolla of 2 or 3 petals, 

 together with the se^oals sometimes partially united. Androeeium of 4 or 

 6 stamens. Gynoecium of 2 or 3 united carpels. Fruit a berry or rarely 

 a tardily dehiscent capsule. 



Sepals and petals distinct or essentially so. 



Flowers axillary : leaves scale-like : branchlets proliferous. 1. Asparagus. 



Flowers terminal, sometimes apparently axillary : leaves, or 

 most of them, not scale-like : plants not proliferously 

 branched. 

 Flowers in a terminal raceme or panicle : perianth white 

 or whitish. 

 Sepals and petals 3 each : stamens 6 : gynoecium 3- 



carpellary. 2. Vagnera. 



Sepals and petals 2 each : stamens 4 : gynoecium 2- 



carpellary. 3. Unifolium. 



Flowers solitary in the axils : perianth yellow or yel- 

 lowish. 

 Sepals and petals with ridges on either side of a deep 



nectary : capsule obovoid or turbinate, 3-lobed. 4. Uvularia. 



Sepals and petals without ridges or nectary : capsule 



elliptic or oval, 3-winged. 5. Oakbriella. 



Sepals and petals partially united into a tube. 6. Polygonatum. 



1. ASPARAGUS [Tourn.] L. Caulescent herbs, the branches plume-like 

 on account of the minute branchlets clustered in the axils of the scales. Leaves 

 scale-like. Flowers mainly solitary in the axils, nodding. Berry nodding. 



1. A. officinalis L. Stem at first scaly and succulent, becoming slender and 

 firmer, 4-20 dm. tall: sepals and petals 4-7 mm. long, linear or nearly so, the 

 latter broader than the former: berries red, 6-& mm. in diameter. — Eather 

 common, in fence-rows and about gardens. Nat. of Eu. — Spr. and sum. — 

 Asparagus. 



2. VAGNERA Adans. Herbs with simple stems. Leaves several. Flow- 

 ers in a terminal raceme or panicle. Sepals and petals of a linear, lanceolate, 

 or oblong type. Filaments dilated or inflated. Stigma obscurely 3-lobed or 

 nearly entire. Ovules 2 in each ovary-cavity. Berries spreading. — Sum. — 

 Wild-spikenard. 



Inflorescence paniculate : sepals and petals linear. 1. V. racemosa. 



Inflorescence racemose : sepals and petals oblong to lanceolate. 2. V. stellata. 



1. V. racemosa (L.) Morong. Stems 3-9 dm. tall: leaf -blades oblong, oblong- 

 lanceolate, or elliptic, 5-20 cm. long, sessile: panicle 3-10 cm. long, many- 

 flowered: sepals and petals white, 1.5-2 mm. long: berries globular, 4-6 mm. 

 long, red, or spotted with purple. — Common, in woods and thickets. 



