Order 149.— MELANTHACE^E. 719 



Ga. Lvs. shorter and broader than in No. 2. St. 2 to 5f high. Fl3. very opm, 

 6" diam., sometimes all sterile. Jl. (Melanthium monoicum Walt.) 

 4 V. angustjfdlium Ph. Grass-leaved Veratrum. Lvs. narrowly fisear, 

 flat, very long, lowest obtuse, upper ones diminishing to subulate bracts ; fls. in a 

 slender paniclo of racemes, those of the terminal raceme (except a few of the 

 highest) perfect and fertile, those of the lateral racemes mostly sterile ; segments 

 narrowly lanceolate, subulate, acuminate. — A very slender, grass-like species, in 

 woods, W. States to the Mts. of Car. Stem. 3f high, with greenish-white flowers. 

 Leaves 1 — 2f by 2 — 3'', half-clasping. Paniclo IU' long, pedicels shorter than 

 tho flowers, each with a very minute bract. June, July. (Stenanthium, Gray.) 



4. AMIAN'THIUM, Gray. Fly-poison. (Gr. d/xiavToc;, pure, immac- 

 ulate ; dvdog ; alluding to the white flowers.) Flowers g ; perianth 

 segments scarcely united at base, petaloid, spreading, sessile and with- 

 out glands ; stam. 6, hypogynous, as long as the segments ; anthers 

 reniform ; ovaries 3, more or less united ; caps. 3-lobed, 3-partiblc ; car- 

 pels follicular, 1 — 4-seeded; testa of the seeds loose, at length fleshy. — 

 Herbs with scapiform stems, grass-like leaves, and a raceme of numerous, 

 white, long-pediccled fls., turning green with age. 



1 A. musceetoxicum Gray. St. bulbous; lvs. flat, loiver broad-linear, obtuse, up- 

 per reduced to bracts; rac. simple; segments oblong, obtuse, shorter than the sta- 

 mens; pedicels filiform ; carpels distinct above ; sty. divergent; seeds ovoid, red. 

 — Shady swamps, N. J., Penn. and Southern States. Stem 1 — 2f high. Leaves 

 mostly radical, about 1 f long. Racemo 2 to 4', rarely longer, dense-flowered, 

 pedicels 6 — 9" long. Perianth and stamens white, the latter rather the longest 

 Carpels united only at base, tho summits horn-liko and diverging. Seeds rather 

 large, scarlet-red when ripe. Apr. — Jn. (Helonias erythrosperma Mx) 



2 A. angustifolium Gray. St. slender, scarcely bulbous; lvs. narrowly linear, 

 tapering to a long, acute point; rac. simple; sq). oval, acutish, scarcely longer than 

 the stamens; sty. filiform, contiguous; seeds linear. — Damp pine voods, Car. to 

 (Btdnbridge, Ga., and) Fla. St. 2 to 3f high. Lvs. 9 to 18' long, 2 to 3" wide, 

 somewhat keeled. Lac. 3 to 5' long, 1' diam. Ped. ascending. Anth. yellow, 

 twice smaller than in No. 1. Plant of a deep green. Apr. — Jn. 



5. SCrUENOCAlTLQN, Gray. (Gr. oxoTvog, a rush, mvX6g, caulis.) 

 Perianth herbaceous, of G linear-oblong, suberect, persistent sepals ; 

 stamens 6, hypogynous, much exserted, with large, reniform, 1-celled 

 anthers; ovaries 3, slightly conjoined; stigmas 3. — Herb bulbous, 

 acaulescent, glabrous, with the lvs. all radical, very long and narrow, 

 sedge-like, and a very slender scape. Fls. in a slender spike. 



S. gracile Gray. Sandy soils, Ga. and Fla. Scapes 2 to 3f high, lvs. half as 

 long. Spike 2 to 4', with palo green lis. Fr. yet unknown. Apr., May. 



6. XEROPHYL'LUM, Mx. (Gr. $rjpoc;, dry, QvXXov, leaf.) Flowers 

 $ ; leaflets of the perianth oval, spreading, petaloid, sessile, and with- 

 out glands ; stamens G, filaments dilated and contiguous at base ; ovary 

 subgiobous ; styles 3, linear, revoluto ; capsule subglobous, 3-lobed, 3- 

 celled, cells 2 -seeded. — llerbs with numerous dry, setaceous leaves, the 

 lower longer, rosulately reclined, the upper gradually reduced. Rac> 

 simple, with white, showy fls. 



X. asphodeloides Nutt. Sandy plains, N. J. to Car. St. 3 to 5f high, very 

 leafy. Radical lvs. If long, very narrow, crowded and caespitous. Fls. in a long, 

 dense, show}' raceme. Segm. spreading 5", obtuse. Pedicels V or more long, 

 bractless at base, but with 2 bractlets above the base. Jn. 



7. HELO'NIAS, L. (Gr. IXog, a marsh ; where some species grow.) 

 Flowers £ ; perianth G-parted, spreading, petaloid, the segments sessile, 



