WATSON ON NORTH AMERICAN LILIACE.E. 279 



ing groups are not to be had, even when North American 

 forms only are considered. Those who imagine they could do 

 better than Mr. Watson has done should make trial before 

 they criticise. The character of the pericarp, whether bac- 

 cate or capsular, the nature of the stock, whether bulbous, 

 tuberous, or rhizomatous, the nature of the seed-coat, the 

 inflorescence, direction of anthers, union or separation of 

 styles, are all good characters to a certain extent, and all fail 

 to furnish unexceptionable marks to distinguish the higher 

 groups when natural associations are sought. It is not easy 

 to ascertain what diagnostic characters in this monograph are 

 most to be trusted. But the nature of the bracts (on the one 

 hand scarious, on the other foliaceous or none) takes the lead 

 in the first two series, and is followed by the persistence or 

 deciduousness of the perianth, the insertion of the stamens 

 whether on the perianth or at its base, the dehiscence of cap- 

 sule, — all matters of little physiological importance, but for 

 that reason perhaps surer guides to affinity than the more 

 prominent adaptive characters. However, it may be said that 

 the first series answers to the AsphodelecB^ with Yucca and 

 HemerocallidecB added ; the second to the true Liliacem, with 

 Uvulariem and TriUiece added ; the third to Melanthacecc, 

 with the tribe Tofieldlece appended. Thus disposed, it is 

 doubtless judicious to designate the three primary groups as 

 " series," and not as suborders, and to throw the stress upon 

 the tribes. 



The Melanthaceous series, which in our view best divides 

 into the Colchicem, Veratrece^ and Tojieldiecp, — the first not 

 American, — is here divided into the VeratrecB, Heloniece, and 

 Xerophyllece (which two we should combine), into the midst 

 of which the Tojieldiem are intercalated. This last tribe, 

 which should end the series, is quite exceptional, and is well 

 composed of Tofieldia, Pleea, and Narthecium. Its marks are 

 the equitant leaves, introrse anthers with parallel cells, and 

 caudate seeds ; but to bring Narthecium under the remain- 

 ing character of " styles distinct or none," it is defined as 

 destitute of style, but with " the slightly lobed stigma sessile 

 upon the attenuated apex of the ovary." This is really much 



