534 LILIACE^. (LILY FAMILY.) 



fruit, etc., nearly as in Melanthium. — Somewhat pubescen perennials, witli 

 simple stems from a thickened base producing coarse fibrous roots (very poison- 

 ous), 3-ranked, plaited and strongly veined leaves, and racemed-pauicled dull 

 or dingy flowers , in summer. (Name from vere, truly, and ater, black.) 



1. V. viridG, Ait. (American White Hellebore. Indian Poke.) 

 Stem stout, vertj leafy to the top (2-7° high); leaves broadly oval, pointed, 

 sheath-clasping; panicle pyramidal, the dense spike-like racemes spreading: 

 perianth yellowish-green, modeva.te\y spreading, the segments ciliate-serndate ; 

 ovary glabrous ; capsule many-seeded. — Swamps and low grounds, common. 



2. V. W^OOdii, Robbins. Stem slender, sparingly leafy (2 - 5° high) ; leaves 

 oblanceolate, only the lowest sheathing; panicle very narrow ; perianth greenish- 

 purple, ivith entire segments ; ovary tomentose, soon glabrate ; capsule few-seeded. 

 — Woods and hilly barrens, S. Ind. to Mo. 



31. STENANTHIUM, Gray. 



Flowers polygamous. Perianth spreading ; the sepals narrowly lanceolate, 

 tapering to a point from the broader base, where they are united and coherent 

 with the base of the ovary, not gland-bearing, persistent, much longer than the 

 short stamens. Anthers, capsules, etc., nearly as in Veratrum. Seeds nearly 

 Avingless. — Smooth, with a wand-like leafy stem from a bulbous base, long and 

 grass-like conduplicate-keeled leaves, and numerous small flowers in compound 

 racemes, forming a long terminal panicle; in summer. (Name composed of 

 arevSs, narrow, and avQos, flower, from the slender sepals and panicles.) 



1. S. angUStifblium, Gray. Stem leafy (3 - 4° high), very slender ; leaves 

 2 - 3" broad ; panicle elongated, nearly simple, very open, with slender flexuous 

 branches ; flowers nearly sessile or the fertile on short pedicels ; sepals linear- 

 lanceolate (white), 2 - 3" long ; capsule strongly reflexed, narrowly oblong-ovate, 

 with spreading beaks. — In the Alleghanies from Va. to S. C. 



2. S. robustum, Watson. Resembling the Jast ; stem stout, leafy, erect 

 (3 - 5° high) ; leaves 4-10" broad ; panicle or raceme often 2° long, frequently 

 compound with numerous slender branches ; sepals (white or green) 3 - 4" long ; 

 capsule erect, ovate, with recurved beaks. — Peun. to S. C., Ohio and Tenn. 



32. ZYGADENUS, Michx. 



Flowers perfect or polygamous. Perianth withering-persistent, spreading ; 

 the petal-like oblong or ovate sepals 1 - 2-glandular near the more or less nar 

 rowed but not unguiculate base, which is either free, or united and coherent 

 with the base of the ovary Stamens free from the sepals and about their length. 

 Anthers, styles, and capsule nearly as in ]Melantliium. Seeds angled, rarely 

 at all margined. — Very smooth and somewhat glaucous perennials, with simple 

 stems from creeping rootstocks or coated bulbs, linear leaves, and rather large 

 panicled greenish-white flowers ; in summer. (Name composed of Cvy6s, a yoke, 

 and dSTjj/, (I <j'(ind, the glands being sometimes in pairs.) 

 * Glands on the perianth conspicuous. 

 1- Rootstork creeping ; glands 2, orbicidar, above the broad claw. 



1 Z. glaberrimus, Michx. Stems l - 3° high ; leaves grass-like, chan- 

 nelled, conspicuously nerved, elongated, tapering to a point ; panicle pyramidal, 



