12. Ubginea.] 145. LILIACEM. 



between the lobes. Capsule oblong, 3-quetrous, loculicidal, many- 

 seeded. Seeds flat, uneven, with black membranous testa. 



All the Floras give " perianth campanulatc " as a chief generic character, having 

 failed to note that some of the species at least are night-flowering, and that at 

 night the perianth is widely spreading. 



1. U. indica, Kunth. Kandri, H. ; Indian Squill. 



Scape 1-2-5 ft. high, appearing long before the leaves, slender and 

 very lax floAvered. Flowers usually only about 4-8 on the scape on 

 very long pedicels which are erect and about -75" long before flower 

 expands, and then elongate to 1 • 5" or even 2 • 5" in fruit and become 

 recurved and then finally erect again. Perianth rotate when open, 

 camjDanulate -3- -4" long before and after opening, segments greenish 

 with a brown streak outside, white within, narrowly oblong, sometimes 

 pubescent at the tip. Ovary oblong 6-grooved with short stout style 

 and 3-gonous stigma. Capsule -4- -7", narrowly ovoid-oblong, 

 coriaceous, 3-quetrous, each carpel ribbed in centre and on the 

 margins. 



Frequent, often seen on fire lines in the forest and on grassy plateaux. Sing- 

 bhum ! Ranchi ! Palamau ! Near nalas.. Gangpiir ! Angul ! Mayurbhanj ! 

 Kalahandi, Cooper ! Probably therefore in all districts of the central and southern 

 areas. Fl. March-May. Fr. May-July. L. appear June. Each flower only 

 lasts one night, opening in the evening and closing early in the morning. 



Bulbs globose-ovoid 1-25-1 -5" diam. with a neck 1" or more long, tunicate with 

 adhering grey fleshy scales without any smell. L. linear 6-18" by -5-1", flat, 

 acute. Bracts subtending the pedicels of the buds -OS", ovate-lanceolate auricled, 

 soon withering. Seeds -3" including the wing, irregularly orbicular. 



The bulb is said to have the properties of Scilla indica and Urginea scilla (see 

 under S. indica). It is also used for sizing cloth. 



13. SCILLA, L. 



Herbs with tunicate bulbs and radical usually narrow leaves. 

 Flowers racemed on a leafless scape with small bracts. Perianth 

 campanulate or stellately spreading, marcescent, with 6 subequal often 

 recurved segments. Stamens 0, inserted at or near the base of the 

 perianth segments with usually filiform filaments and ovate or oblong 

 anthers introrsely dehiscent. Ovary 3-celled with filiform style and 

 small capitate stigma. Ovule 2-few in each cell. Fruit a globose 

 3-lobed loculicidal capsule with cells 1-2-seeded. Seeds obovoid or 

 subglobose with thin black testa. Embryo shorter than the firm 

 albumen. 



1. S. indica, Baker. Indian Squill. 



Rather a pretty small bulbous herb, especially when the leaves 

 which are coaetaneous with the flowers are blotched with deep black. 

 Scapes 4-7" high, very many-flowered. Fls. greenish-purple with 

 purple filaments. Per. segments linear-oblong, -15- -25" long, cam- 

 panulate below then spreading, erect in fruit. Capsules membranous 

 • 17" long and broad. 



Although common locally in the Central Provinces it is rare in our area. 

 Manbhum, Cain p. ! Fl. June-July. It usually grows in grass areas and 

 produces leaves and flowcis after the grass is burnt. 



Bulb globose or ovoid, 1-1-5" diam. L. 3-G" by -5-1", oblong, lanceolate or 



1096 



