MELANTHACE.E. (COLCHICUM FAMILY.) 513 



Order 154. MELANTHACE^E. (Colchicum Family.) 



Perennial herbs, with parallel-nerved leaves, and regular flowers. 

 Perianth of 6 nearly equal divisions, free from or coherent with the 

 base of the 3-ceUed ovary. Stamens 6 (in Pleea 9 - 12), inserted on 

 the base of the perianth : anthers extrorse (except in Tofieldia and 

 Pleea). Styles 3, distinct, or more or less united. Fruit a capsule or 

 berry. Seeds anatropous. Embryo minute, in copious albumen. 



Synopsis. 



Suborder I. UVULARIE^. (The Bell wort Family.) Perianth 

 corolla-like, bell-shaped, the divisions distinct and deciduous. Styles partly or 

 wholly united. Fruit a few-seeded capsule or berry. — Stems forking and 

 leafy above, sheathed below. Leaves ovate or lanceolate, sessile or clasping. 

 Flowers perfect, solitary, nodding. 



1. UVULARIA. Fruit a 3-lobed loculicidal capsule. Flowers on short lateral branches. 



2. PROSARTES. Fruit a 3-G-seeded berry. Flowers terminal, on straight peduncles. 



3. STREPTOPUS. Fruit a many-seeded berry. Flowers axillary, on bent peduncles. 



Suborder II. MELANTHIE.E. (The Colchicum Family.) Perianth 



spreading ; the divisions mostly distinct, often clawed, withering-persistent. 



Styles separate. Fruit a 3-celled capsule. — Stems leafy at the base, simple 



or branched. Flowers in racemes or panicles, sometimes polygamous or 



dioecious. 



* Anther cells confluent. 



•<- Leaves of the perianth biglandular near the base. 



4. MELANTHIUM. Flowers polygamous. Filaments partly adhering to the claws of the 



perianth. 



5. ZYGADENUS. Flowers perfect. Filaments free from the perianth. 



■*- 1- Leaves of the perianth glandless. 



6. STEN ANTHIUM. Leaves of the perianth lanceolate, acute, coherent with the base of 



the ovary, longer than the stamens. 



7. VERATRUM. Leaves of the perianth oblong or obovate, free from the ovary, longer 



than the stamens and short styles. Flowers polygamous. 



8. AMIANTHIUM. Leaves of the perianth obovate, free, shorter than the stamens and 



slender styles. Flowers perfect, racemed. 



9. SCHffiXOCAULON. Leaves of the periantli oblong, shorter than the stamens, much 



longer than the very short styles. Flowers perfect, spiked. 

 * * Anther cells distinct^ 

 ■(- Capsule loculicidal. 



10. XEROPHTLLUM. Flowers perfect. Capsule C-seeded. Radical leaves grass-like. 



11. CHAM^ELIRIUM. Flowers dioecious. Capsule many-seeded. Radical leaves obovate. 



•t- *■ Capsule septicidal. Leaves equitant. Anthers introrse. 



12. PLEEA. Stamens 9 -12. Anthers versatile. Bracts spathe-like. 



13. TOFIELDIA. Stamens 6. Anthers erect. Bracts short. 



1. UVULARIA, L. Bellwort. 



Perianth bell-shaped, corolla-like, the divisions distinct, grooved at the base 

 within, deciduou.'?. Filaments short ; anthers linear, adnate. Style deeply 3- 

 cleft: stigmas spreading. Capsule 3-lobed or 3 angled, loculicidally 3-valved 



33 



