LiLIALES.] 



MELANTHACP]^. 



199 



foi-mer are well-known to be acrid, cathartic, narcotic, and diuretic; the latter is a nauseous, 

 dangerous emetic. These properties are owing to a pecuUar alkaline principle, called 

 Veratria, which acts with singular energy on the membrane of the nose, exciting violent 

 sneezing, though taken m verj minute quantity. When received internally in very small 

 doses, it produces excessive irritation of the mucous coat of the stomach and intestines ; 

 and a few grains are found fatal to the lower animals. Veratrum viride of North 

 America is an acrid, emetic, and powerful stimulant, followed by sedative effects. Se- 

 rious accidents have followed the incautious use of Meadow Saffron, Colchicum autum- 

 nale ; it is only a few months since a woman was poisoned by the sprouts of Colchicum 

 roots, which had been thrown away m Covent Garden market, and which she mistook 

 for onions. White Hellebore, Veratrum album, the lirTrofxaur] of the ancients, is used 

 by gardeners to destroy the Gooseberry Caterpillar, and similar noxious insects. Asa- 

 grsea officinalis, an Alpine Mexican plant, yields most of the Cevadilla, Cebadilla or Saba- 

 dilla seeds of commerce, which were formerly used to destroy pediculi, and as anthel- 

 mintics, and have also been employed in chronic rheumatism and paralysis, and in 

 neuralgic cases, but are now chiefly consumed in the manufacture of Veratria. He- 

 lonias frigida, called in INlexico Savoeja, is aUied to this, and is a well-known poison, 

 stupefying the horses that feed upon it. The root of Helonias dioica in infusion is an- 

 thelmintic, but its tincture is bitter and tonic ; when chewed it excites 'the saliva and 

 produces vomiting ; the N. Americans call it Blazing Star and Devil's Bit. A decoction 

 of Helonias buUata is given in obstinictions of the bowels. Amianthium muscsetoxicum 

 is said to poison cattle which feed upon its foliage in the autunm, whence the United 

 States Americans call it Fall Poison ; they employ it to destroy flies. Uvularias are 

 said to be simply astringent ; the bruised leaves of Uvularia grandiflora are a popular 

 remedy in the United States for the bite of the rattlesnake. The Hermodactyls of the 

 Arabians, formerly so celebrated for soothing pains in the joints, were corms of the 

 Colchicum variegatum, a species found in the Mediterranean. Dr. Royle found them 

 in the bazaars of India, where they bear names traceable to the x^^X^'^'^^ ^^^^ ecpe/xipoi' 

 of the Greeks. 



GENERA. 



Veratre.e. 

 Tofieldia, Huds. 



Narthecium, Ger. 

 • Helonias, Willd. 



HerUiera, Schrank. 



Isidrogalvia, R. et P. 



Hebelia, Gmel. 



Conradia, Raf. 



Lcptilix, Raf. 



Triantha, Nutt. 

 Pleea, Rich. 

 Xerophyllum, Rich. 

 Helonias, Zmn. 



Ahalon, Adans. 



Chamaelirium, Willd. 



Ophiostachys , Del. 



Diclinothrys, Raf. 



Asagi-aea, Lindl. 



Sabadilla, Brandt. 

 Schcenocaulon, A. Gr. 

 Amianthium, A. Gr. 



Amiantanthiis , Kth. 



Cyanotris, Raf. 



Chrospernia, Raf. 

 Veratrum, Tournef. 



Stenmithium, A. Gr. 

 Anticlea, Kth. 

 Zygadenus, Rich. 



Leimanthium, Willd. 

 Burchardia, R. Br. 

 Erythrostictus, Schlecht. 

 Ornithoglossum, Salisb. 



Lichfensteinia, Willd. 



Cyniation, Spr. 

 Anguillaria, R. Br. 



Melanthium, Linn. 



Criocephalus, Schlecht. 



Meliglossnm, Schlecht. 



Dipidax, Laws. 

 Andi-ocymbium, Willd. 



Cymbanthes, Salisb. 

 Wurmbea, Thunb. 

 Bseometra, Salisb. 



Kolbea, Schlecht. 



Jania, Schult. f. 



UvuLARE.E, A. Gray. 

 Schelhammera, R. Br. 

 Kreysigia, Reichenb. 

 Tripladenia, Don. 

 Uvularia, Linn. 

 Tricyrtis, Wall. 



Compsanthus, Spreng. 



Dispomm, Salisb. 



Drapiezia, Blum, 



Lethea, Noronh. 

 Prosartes, Don. 

 Hekorima, Raf. 

 Streptopus, Rich. 



CoLCHiCE^, Nees. 

 Monocaryum, R. Br. 

 Bulbocodium, Linn. 



Merendera, Ram. 



Geophila, Berg. 

 Colchicum, Tournef, 



Hermodactylus, R. Br. 



? Lencocrintnn, Nutt. 



? Geanthia, Raf. 

 ? Weldenia, Schult. f. 



RiKjcndasia, Schiede. 



Numbers. Gen. 30. Sp. 130. 



rosiTioN.- 



Irklacece. 



-MeLANTHAC'EvE. 



JuncacecB. 



Liliaccie. 



