474 CONVALLARIA. [CLASS VI. ORDER I. 



English Botany, t. 280. — English Flora, vol. ii. p. 155. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 159. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 270. 



Root with fleshy creeping underground stems, aad whorls of stout 

 fibres. Stem angular, from twelve to eighteen inches high, slightly 

 wavy, and curved above, smooth, naked below, or enveloped in one or 

 more thin membranous pale sheaths, abortive leaves, the upper part 

 with numerous alternate more or less one sided leaves, half embracing 

 the stem, ovate oblong or ovate elliptical, with an obtuse or acute 

 sometimes lanceolate point, and somewhat tapering at the base, quite 

 smooth, of a rather dark somewhat glaucous green, paler beneath, 

 having a mid-fib and numerous lateral parallel slender veins. Flowers 

 drooping, axillary, mostly solitary, sometimes two on a peduncle. 

 Perianth white, long, tubular, cylindrical, six ribbed, each rib ter- 

 minating in the point of the acute segments, which are tinged with 

 green, and tipped with a small tuft of short rigid hairs. Stamens on 

 short slender smooth filaments inserled into the perianth below its 

 middle. Anthers long, slender, of two cells, cleft at the base, bursting 

 laterally. Style straight, slender, filiform, as long as the perianth. 

 Stigmas obtuse. Fruit a globular dark blue berry, of three cells^ each 

 cell one or two seeded. 



Habitat. — Woods and shady places, in England. On the edge of 

 the cliffs near Wharf and Settle, Yorkshire. Near Bexley and Dart- 

 ford, in Kent. — Mr. Greaves. Mendip hills, Somersetshire ; and 

 Kyloe rocks, near Berwick. — Mr. A. Bruce. 



Perennial ; flowering in May and June. 



This species, like the former, is not unfrequenl in various parts of 

 the Continent, as well as C latifolia, Jacq , which is nearly allied to 

 it, but is distinguished by its leaves being more broadly ovate, shortly 

 petiolate, with an obtuse or acute point, and the ribs and veins on the 

 under side being downy, ihe peduncles bearing from one to four 

 flowers, and the style being flexuous, it is also mostly of a stouter 

 and more robust growth. 



4. C multifio'ra, Linn. (Fig. 539.) Common Solomon''s Seal. Stem 

 round ; leaves alternate, ovate oblong or elliptieal, half embracing the 

 stem ; peduncles axillary, from one to five flowered ; filaments downy; 

 style flexuous. 



English Botany, t. 279. — English Flora, vol. ii. p. 156. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 159. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 270. 



Root with fleshy creeping underground stems, and whorls of fibres. 

 Stem from a foot and a half to two feet high, round, smooth, or slightly 

 angular, somewhat wavy and curved above, naked below, or enveloped 

 at the base in thin membranous sheaths, the upper part with numerous 

 alternate one side leaves, ovate oblong or elliptical, with a lanceolate 

 or acute point, and somewhat tapering base, which half embraces the 

 stem, quite smooth, mostly of a palish green, glaucous on the under 

 side, with a mid-rib and numerous slender parallel veins. Flowers 



