32 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



peduncle about as long as the leaves ; flowers 1 in. long, yellow, 

 sometimes spotted with purple, the 8 inner perianth segments 2- 

 toothed at the base ; style club-shaped, capsule obovate, seeds ovoid, 

 with a membranous appendage at the apex. February-March. In 

 rich woods. 



VI. ORNITHOGALUM. 



Acaulescent herbs from coated bulbs ; leaves linear, fleshy ; 

 scape erect ; flowers in corymbs or racemes, bracted ; perianth 

 segments 6, white, nerved, persistent ; stamens 6, hypogynous, 

 slender, filaments flattened ; ovary sessile, 3-celled, few-ovuled, 

 fruit a roundish, 3-angled capsule, seeds black. 



0. UMBELLATUM L. Star OF Bethlehem. Bulb ovoid, mem- 

 branous-coated ; leaves numerous, linear, fleshy, as long as the 

 scape, mid-vein nearly white ; scape slender, 6-12 in. high ; flowers 

 opening in sunshine, long-pediceled ; bracts linear-lanceolate, about 

 as long as the pedicels ; perianth segments oblong-lanceolate, white 

 with a green stripe on the back, twice the length of the stamens. 

 April-June. Introduced from Europe ; very common about old 

 gardens. 



VII. ALETRIS. 



Perennial from fibrous and bitter roots ; stems erect and 

 scape-like ; basal leaves in a rosulate cluster, lanceolate ; stem 

 leaves small and bract-like ; flowers in a terminal, bracted 

 spike ; perianth oblong or tubular, rough and viscid without, 

 smooth within, 6-parted, the tube adherent to the ovary ; 

 stamens 6, short, included, inserted at the top of the tube ; 

 ovary 3-celled, many-ovuled, style subulate, persistent, stig- 

 mas 3, fruit an ovoid, 3-cened, many-seeded capsule, seeds 

 ovate, ribbed. 



1. A. FARiNOSA L. CoLic-ROOT. Basal leaves numerous, lanceo- 

 late or elliptical, acuminate at the apex, sessile, pale yellowish-green ; 

 stem scape-like, furrowed or striate, 2-3 ft. high ; spike rigid, 4-12 

 in. long, flowers pediceled, bracted, perianth cylindrical, white, or 

 the spreading lobes yellowish ; style slender, 3-cleft, capsule ovoid, 

 longer than the perianth. May-June. On damp pine barrens. 



2. A. AUREA Walt. Yellow Colic-root. Basal leaves numer- 

 ous, ovate-lanceolate, very acute, narrowed into a short petiole ; stem 

 nearlv smooth, 2-3 ft. high ; raceme 1-2 ft. long, slender ; flowers 



