200 ENGLISH ROTANY. 
each bulb, and apparently never more than two, 2 to 10 inches high, 
but commonly about 3 or 4 inches. Corymb “Be to 12- flowered. 
Perianth leaves 4%; inch long, oval-lanceolate, very pale dull blue 
when growing, but turning bright blue when dried: Capsules about 
the size of sweet-pea seeds, ovate-subglobular, acuminate, trigonous. 
Seeds subglobular-compressed and angular, black, smooth when moist, 
rugose when dry, nearly as large as rape-seed. 
Vernal Squill. 
French, Scille du printemps. German, Meerzwiebel. 
A foreign species of Squill, 8. maritima, is used in medicine, and is included in the 
Pharmacopeia. Squill bulbs are imported from Malta and other Mediterranean 
ports, and also from St. Petersburg and Copenhagen; and they are commonly brought 
sliced and dried. The active properties of the Squill are emetic, irritant, and expec- 
torant. It is prescribed in dropsy, catarrh, asthma, and phthisis. In the British 
Pharmacopeeia, syrup of Squills is admitted, and is a favourite remedy for coughs and 
hoarseness. 
Sus-Genus II.—ENDYMION. Du Mortier. 
Perianth segments slightly connected at the base, more or less con- 
nivent even while in flower. The three exterior filaments adnate for 
half their length or more to the three outer perianth segments. Seeds 
subglobular, without a strophiole at the base. 
SPECIES I—SCILLA NUTANS. Sm. 
Pirate MDXXVIILI. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. X. Tab. CCCLXI. Fig. 1008. 
Billot, Fl. Gall. et Germ. Exsice. No, 2544. 
Endymion nutans, Du Mort. Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ. et Helv. ed. ii. p. 834. Gren. & 
Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. III. p. 215. Parl. Fl. Ital. Vol. II. p. 478. 
E. non-seriptus, Gdrcke, Fl. von Nord- und Mittel-Deutschland, ed. vi. p. 401. Crép. 
Man. FI. Belg. ed. ii. p. 282. 
Agraphis nutans, Link. Hook. & Arn. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 450. Reich. 1c. p. 13. 
Hyacinthus non-scriptus, Linn. Spec. Pl. p. 453. 
Bulb coated. Leaves several, appearing in early spring before the 
flowers, and withering in summer, strapshaped-linear, attenuated at 
each end, widely channelled. Flowers drooping, few or rather nume- 
rous, in a rather lax raceme which droops at the apex until after 
flowering. Pedicels recurved in flower, erect in fruit, shorter than 
the flowers. Bracts longer than the pedicels, scarious, coloured, blue, 
acuminate. Perianth leaves connivent into a cylindrical tube, with 
their tips recurved or revolute, purplish-blue, concolorous. Three 
