LILIACE. IFC 
England, Scotland. Perennial. - Summer. 
Rootstock about the thickness of a man’s little finger, creeping. 
Stem erect, 15 inches to 8 feet high or more, naked at the base, 
angular above, with numerous whorls of leaves from below the middle 
to the apex. Leaves 3 to 6 inches long, green, paler beneath, much 
longer than the internodes, with a strong midrib and numerous parallel 
ribs connected by transverse veins, very finely scabrous-pubescent 
on the ribs and margins. Peduncles longer than the flowers, gene- 
rally branched at the apex, the upper ones sometimes simple and 
1-flowered. Perianth about 2 inch long, contracted about the middle, 
the limb consisting of spreading teeth, green and bearded inside. 
Filaments very short. Berries the size of small red currants. The 
ripe fresh fruit | have not seen; according to Smith it is deep blue, 
but Koch describes it as red. 
Whorled-leaved Solomon's Seal. 
French, Muguet verticellé. German, Querblattrige Weisswurz. 
The origin of the common name of this plant is variously given. Dr. Prior tells us 
it comes from “the flat round scars on the rootstock, resembling the impressions of 
a seal, and called Solomon’s from his seal being of frequent occurrence in Oriental 
tales, and a familiar expression;’’ while Dr. Withering considers that its reputed 
efficacy for “‘ knitting together, soddering or seuling of broken bones,” gives rise to the 
name. We incline to think that the shape of the flowers as they hung on the stem 
may have suggested the idea of seals. The virtues attributed to this plant in former 
times were many and great. Gerarde tells us that “the root of Solomon’s Seal 
stamped while it is fresh and greene and applied, taketh away in one night, and two 
at the most, any bruise, blacke or blew spots gotten by fals or women’s wilfulnesse in 
stumbling upon their hasty husband’s fists, or such like.’’ He adds: “ As touching the 
knitting of bones, and that truly which might be written would seem to some 
incredible ; but common experience teacheth that in the world there is not another 
herb to be found comparable to it for the purposes aforesaid; and therefore in briefe, 
ifit be for bruises inward the roots must be stamped, some ale or wine put thereto 
and strained and given to drinke.”’ 
The roots macerated for some time in water yield a substance capable of being used 
as food, and consisting principally of starch. The young shoots form an excellent 
vegetable when boiled and eaten like asparagus, and are largely consumed in Turkey, 
SPECIES TI—POLYGONATUM MULTIFLORUM. Ali. 
Pirate MDXITI. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Hely. Vol. X. Tab. CCCCXXXIII. 
Conyallaria multiflora, Sm. Engl. Bot. ed. i. No. 279; and Engl. Fl. Vol. II. p. 156. 
Fries, Summ. Veg. Scand. p. 64. Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ. et Helv. ed. ii. p. 814. 
Reich.1.c. p.5. 
Stem arching, terete, without elevated lines, glabrous. Leaves al- 
ternate, subdistichous, ascending in two directions at an obtuse angle 
with each other; the lower ones semiamplexicaul; the upper sessile; 
VOL. IX. AA 
