(293) 



Has the reputation of being poisonous, but 

 is certainly not so to liog«, wlio devour its 

 bulbs greedily and without any injury to them- 

 selves. 



3. Xerophyllum Ricli. 



Perigoniiim 6-sepalous; sepals sessile, per- 

 sistent; 3 internal ones smaller. Stamens in- 

 serted on the l)ase of sepals; anthers laterally 

 dehiscent. Ovary 3-celled; cells few-ovulate; 

 styles 3, recurved, persistent. Capsule septici- 

 dal. — 11. Rhizomatous. Leaves linear, elon- 

 gate. Inflorescence racemose. 



1. X. TENAX Nutt. Flowers white.- -Tamal- 

 pais. Wright's Station. Spring. 



This plant is remarkable by its flowering 

 plentifully at certain 3-ears and then disappear- 

 ing altogether for a long period. This circum- 

 stance is probably owing to the fact that the 

 plant requires a fixed age before flowering and 

 then dies after having ripened its seeds. We 

 find the same peculiarity in many species of 

 Bamboo, in some palms, viz.: Corypha, and in 

 Agave, all of which plants are annuals in a 

 l)otanical sense, l)ut require a number of years 

 to complete their biological cycle. 



Family 4. JUNCACE^. 



Perigonium glumaceous. Anthers basifixed. 



