Y18 Order 149.—MELANTHAOTLE. 



above its contracted base ; stamens inserted in contact with the ovary ; 

 capsule membranous, 3-celled, many-seeded, septicidal ; seeds scarcely 

 winged. — U St. simple, paniculate above, smooth and glaucous, as weD 

 as the linear lvs. Fls. greenish. 



1 Z. glaberrimus Mx. Rhizome creeping ; lvs. linear, channeled, recurved ; pan- 

 icle pyramidal ; bracts ovate, acuminate ; segm. of the perianth acuminate, glares 

 2 on the claw of each. — S. States. St. 2 to 3f high. Lower lvs. about 10' long, 

 upper ones gradually diminishing, all concave and tapering to a point. Panicle 

 terminal, loose, consisting of many greenish-white lis. Sep. ovate-lanceolate, free 

 from the stamens, the 2 glands orbicular, distinct and conspicuous. Jo. 



2 Z. glaucus Nutt. St. bulbous, nearly naked; lvs. shorter than the stem, linear, 

 rather obtuse ; panicle simple ; bracts lanceolate, shorter than the pedicels ; seg- 

 merits oval or obovate, obtuse, each with an obcordate gland. — Sand)' shores, Can. to 

 N. Y. and "Wis. Stem 10 — 15' high. Leaves glaucous, upper gradually reduced 

 to bracts. Racemo subsimple, sometimes a little compound at base. Flowers 

 few (10 — 20), greenish-white, on pedicels 1' long, tho segments with the 2 gland* 

 united. Capsule oblong-ovoid, carpeb divergent at apex, C — S-sceded. Jl., Aug. 



3 Z. leimanthoid.es Gray. lit. fibrous; lvs. linear, flat; pan. simple, the terminal 

 raceme elongated ; segments obovate, with a glandular spot at base, and longer than 

 the linear styles ; sds. winged at the apex, lanceolate, compressed. — N. J. to La. 

 Stem roundish, 2 — 4f high, tho lower leaves about half as long, pale green, acute. 

 Flowers white, on filiform pedicels, finally recurved. Segments of tho perianth 

 obtuse, a little shorter than tho capillary filaments. July. 



3. VERATRUM, Tourn. False Hellebore. (Lat. vcrc, alrum, 

 truly black ; alluding to the dark color of the flowers or root.) Flowers 

 by abortion <3 $ $ ; segments of the perianth united at base, petaloid, 

 spreading, sessile and without glands ; stamens G, shorter than the peri- 

 anth, and inserted on its base ; ovaries 3, united at base, often abortive ; 

 .styles short; capsule 3-lobed, 3-partible, co-seeded. — lit. lvs. alternate. 

 Fls. paniculate. 



jj Stem stout and very leafy throughout. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate No. 1 



§ Stem blender, nearly naked. — Sepals obtusish. Leaves oval and lanceolate Nos. 2, S 



— Sepals acuminata. Leaves linear No. 4 



1 V. viride Ait. Lvs. lance-oval, acuminate ; si. stout and very leafy ; panicle 

 compound, racemous ; bracts oblong-laneeolatc, bracteoles longer than tho downy 

 pedicels. — Can. to Ga. A large-leaved, coarse- looking plant, of our meadows and 

 swamps. Root large, fleshy, with numerous long fibers. Stem 2 — 4f Ligh, stri- 

 ate and pubescent. Leaves strongly veined and plaited, tho lower near a foot 

 long and half as wide, sheathing at the base. Flowers numerous, green, in many 

 axillary (or bracted) racemes, which together form a very large, pyramidal, ter- 

 minal panicle. July. Root emetic and stimulant, but poisonous. ( V. album Ms.) 



2 V. Woodii Robbins. Indiana Veratrum. Lvs. mostly radical, lanceolate 

 and linear- lanceolate, glabrous, veined and plicate, acute tapering to a long, 

 winged, sheathing petiolo ; st. or scapo terete, tall, erect, with remote, lance- 

 linear bracts; panicle simple, slender, pyramidal, many-flowered; fls. $ 5, sub- 

 sessile; segments oblanceolate, sessile (the stamens nearly free and of equal length) 

 dark brownish-purple within. — "Woods, Green Co., la., 111. (Mead) and Iowa (Cous- 

 cns). Root fasciculate. Leaves 10 — 1G' long (including tho 4 — 8' petiole), 2 — 4' 

 wide. Bracts 1 — 3' long. Scape 3 — Gf high, paniculate ^ its length. Flowers 

 9'' diam., almost black, with red stamens, upper and lower sterile. Ovary oblong, 

 crowned with 3 spreading stylos half its length. Seeds compressed, winged with 

 the broad, loose, membranous testa. July. — Very different from tho next. 



3 V. parviflorum Mx. Lvs. mostly radical, oval and lance-oval, glabrous, 

 scarcely plicate, contracted at base into winged petioles ; stem scape-like, tereto, 

 bracted- panicle elongated, very loose, with filiform branches; fls. dingy green, o» 

 filiform pedicels, segm,. lance-spatulate, unguiadate, the claws bearing the stamens, 

 which are scarcely half as long. — Blue Ridge, Ya. (Miss Carpenter) to tho Mts. of 



