MONOCOTYLEDONS. 27 



racemose, or panicled, regular, perfect, polygamous, or dioe- 

 cious, perianth of 6 similar and usually distinct segments; 

 stamens 6, rarely 9-12, inserted on the base of the perianth ; 

 ovary free or nearly so, 3-celled, many-ovuled, styles 3, dis- 

 tinct or partly united ; fruit a capsule, seeds usually winged 

 or tailed. 



I. CHAM^LIRIUM. 



Rootstock short and thick, bitter ; stem simple, erect, leafy, 

 glabrous ; lower leaves spatulate to obov^ate, the stem leaves 

 narrower; flowers small, white, in a spike-like raceme, dioe- 

 cious, perianth of 6 linear-spatulate segments ; stamens G, fila- 

 ments longer than the perianth ; ovary 3-celled, styles 3 ; fruit 

 an ovoid, 3-angled, many-seeded capsule. 



C. LUTEUM (L.) Gray. Uxicohx-root. Stem furrowed, stanii- 

 nate plants 1-2 ft. high, pistillate taller, often 8 ft. or more; lower 

 leaves ohovate, clustered, the upper small and bract-like ; staminate 

 racemes slender and drooping, the pistillate erect ; flowers short pedi- 

 celed ; capsule 3-valved, seeds linear-oblong, winged at the ends. 

 May-June. On low ground. 



II. CHROSPERMA. 



Stem simple, glabrous, erect from a bulbous base ; leaves 

 long and slender; flowers white, in a simple terminal raceme, 

 perfect, perianth of 6 segments which are sessile and gland- 

 less ; stamens G, inserted in the base of the perianth ; ovary 

 3-lobed, 3-celled; frnit a dehiscent 3-l()bed capsule, the lobes 

 becoming subulate by the persistent style* bases ; cells few- 

 seeded. 



C. MU8C.KTOXICUM (Walt.) Kunt/o. Fi.v Poison. Uull) ovoid 

 or oblong ; stem somewhat an<;l«'(l below, 1 -o ft. lii^li ; lower leaves 

 st rai>-shai>e(l, clianneled, the u])per small and bract-like; raceme 

 d«,'nse, cvlin<lrical ; })edicels from th<^ axils of minute ovate bracts, 

 I>erianth segm(;nts ovate, white, l»ecoming greenish, nearly as long as 

 the slender stamens; styles s]»readinL;' ; cajtside with divergent lobes; 

 seeds ovoid, i-ed. Mav-dune. In rich w Is. 



