148 MELANTHACEAE 



1. V. Eschscholtzianum (R. & S.) Rydb. Stem 1-2 m. high; leaves from 

 broadly round-oval to oblong, or the uppermost lanceolate, sessile and sheathing 

 at the base, 2-3 dm. long; petals and sepals oblanceolate, 8-10 mm. long, acute 

 or obtuse, fully twice as long as the stamens. Closely related to V. viride Ait. 

 of the East, which has longer bracts and stamens. In wet woods: Mont. — Ida. — ■ 

 Ore. — Alaska. Mont. — Subalp. Ji-S. 



2. V. speciosum Rydb. Stem 1-3 m. high; leaves, except the uppermost, 

 broadly oval, 2-3 dm. long, 1-2 dm. wide, finely soft-pubescent beneath, sessile 

 and sheathing; petals and sepals yellowish white, mostly obtuse, 5-7-nerved, 

 8-10 mm. long. V. californicum S. Wats., not Durand. V. Jonesii Heller. 

 Brook- and river-banks: Wash. — Calif. — N.M. — Mont. Submont. — Mont. Jl-Au. 



3. V. tenuipetalum Heller. Like the last, but still more leafy; leaves very 

 concave ; panicle more compound and very many-flowered ; petals and sepals mostly 

 acute, 3-5-nerved, 6-8 mm. long and about 2 mm. wide. In mountain meadows: 

 Colo. Submont.— Mont. Jl. 



5. ANTICLEA Kunth. White Cajias. 



Bulbiferous glabrous perennials. Leaves linear, sheathing. Flowers per- 

 fect, greenish or yellowish white, in racemes or panicles. Petals and sepals 

 nearl}' alike, elliptic to obovate, withering-persistent, bearing an obcordate gland 

 within above the narrowed base, perigynous. Stamens free; anthers cordate 

 or reniform. Ovary partly inferior. Seeds numerous, angled. 



Base of the stem not covered by conspicuous scarious sheaths; plant not tufted. 

 Petals and sepals greenish, the former more or less contracted into a broad claw. 



1. .4. chloraniha. 

 Petals and sepals white or straw-colored, greenish only on the midrib, not at all clawed. 



Petals and sepals 7-13-nerved. 



Stem more or less leafy, 3-C dm. high; petals white, 7-8 mm. long. 



2. A. elegans. 

 Stem scapiform, 1-3 dm. high; petals straw-colored, 5-6 mm. long. 



3. A. alpina. 

 Petals and sepals 5-6 mm. long, 3-7-nerved. 



Inflorescence usually simple, few-flowered ; petals and sepals usually nearly 6 mm. 



long; flowers not recurved after anthesis. 4. A. coloradensis. 



Inflorescence branched, many-flowered; petals and sepals rarely exceeding 5 mm. 



in length; flowers refle.xed just after anthesis. 5. A. porrifolia. 



Base of the stem covered by numerous, conspicuous, scarious sheaths; plant growing 



in big clumps. 6. A. vaginata. 



1. A. chlorantha (Richardson) Rydb. Stem glabrous, green, 3-10 dm. 

 high; leaves 1-3 dm. long, 5-12 mm. wide, keeled; flowers paniculate, about 1 

 cm. long; sepals and petals usually 7-nerved, elliptic; capsule ovoid. Zygadenus 

 chloranthus Richardson. Z. glaucus Nutt., in part. Rocky or stony places, 

 often on limestone: N.B. — N.Y. — 111. — S.D. — Sask. Boreal. Je-Au. 



2. A. elegans (Pursh) Rydb. Stem glabrous, light green, 3-6 dm. high; 

 leaves 1-3 dm. long, 5-15 mm. wide, keeled; flowers racemose, or rarely panicu- 

 late, dirty white; bracts ovate to lanceolate, often membranou-s-margined ; petals 

 and sepals obovate or oval, obtuse; capsule ovoid. Z. elegans Pursh. Z. glaticus 

 Nutt., in part. Z. dilatatus Greene. In meadows: Sask. — -N.D. — N.M. — 

 Nev. — Alaska. Plain — Subalp. Je-Au. 



3. A. alpina (Blankinship) Heller. Stem 1-2 dm. high, subscapiform with 

 one or two bracts or small leaves; basal leaves 6-12 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide; 

 bracts ovate, scarious, purple-veined; sepals and petals cream-colored, obovate; 

 capsule narrow. Z. alpinus Blankinship. Mountains: Mont. Subalp. Jl- 

 Au. 



4. A. coloradensis Rydb. A rather slender glabrous plant, 2-4 dm. high; 

 leaves narrow, erect, about 2 dm. long, 3-5 mm. wide; flowers racemose, yel- 

 lowish white, tinged with brownish or purplish; bracts linear-lanceolate; petals 

 and sepals oblong or narrowlv obovate, acute; capsule ovoid. Mountains: 

 N.M.— Colo.— Utah. Mont.—Subalp. Jl-Au. 



5. A. porrifolia (Greene) Rydb. Stem slender, 3-6 dm. high; leaves thin, 

 pale, 2-4 <hn. long, 6-12 mm. wide; bracts lanceolate, green; pedicels 1-3 cm. 



