LILIACEX. ; 219 
inner leaf), semicircular, keeled ; lamina elliptical or oblong-elliptical 
or oblanceolate-elliptical, flat, deep green. Scape triangular, almost 
triquetrous, naked. Spathe 2-valved, ovate-lanceolate, gradually acu- 
minated towards the beak, wholly scarious. Flowers numerous, erect, 
in a lax flat-topped umbel with long pedicels, destitute of head-bul- 
bules. Perianth leaves spreading, narrowly oblong-elliptical, subacute, 
wholly white. Stamens included, much shorter than the perianth; 
filaments all simple, linear, all adhering to the bases of the perianth seg- 
ments. Capsule scarcely as long as broad, turbinate, deeply 3-lobed, 
with obtuse lobes. Seeds 1 (rarely 2) in each cell, subglobose. 
On hedgebanks and in woods, copses, etc., and in damp pastures. 
Rather common, and generally distributed. Rare in the north of 
Scotland, and not reaching the most northern counties. Not un- 
frequent, and generally distributed in Ireland. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Early Summer. 
Bulbs 1 to 2 inches long by } to } inch across. Leaves appearing 
in spring; petioles 3 to 10 inches long; lamina 2 to 8 inches long, 
by 1 to 4 inches broad. Scape 4 to 20 inches high. Pedicels } to it 
inch long. Perianth leaves about } inch long, spreading like a star 
while in flower. Stamens two-thirds of the length of the perianth 
leaves. Capsule about the size of a sweet-pea seed, deeply indented at 
the apex. Seeds commonly reduced to 1 in each cell by the abortion 
of the second, in which case they are less compressed than when there 
are two. 
The growth of A. ursinum is very similar to that of A. narcissiflorum 
of Villars (A. Pedemontanum, Willd.), which is frequently but im- 
properly placed among the rhizomatous Allia. <A. ursinum, A. Victo- 
rialis, and A. narcissiflorum, have all extremely short rhizomes, which, 
however, decay towards the base, so that the rootstocks never grow 
out into thick Iris-like rhizomes as in the Rhiziridea of Don. In all 
these three species the bulbs are elongated and surrounded by bristly 
fibres, sometimes solitary, but more often 2 or 3 attached to the apex 
of the rhizomes: they ought either to form a separate group or be 
placed in Scordon of Koch. 
Ramsons. 
French, Ail des ours. German, Biirenlauch 
Dr. Prior gives us the origin of the common name of this plant thus: “From the 
Danish and Swedish ram, rank, so called from its strong odour. Ramson would be 
the plural of ramse, as peason of pease, and oxen of ox. The appearance of this plant 
before the blossoms appear is so like that of the lily of the valley, that many persons 
have mistaken one forthe other, and have only been undeceived by the overpowering 
smell of onions which the leaves emit. This plant is much prized by the Russians, 
especially in Kamtchatka, where it grows in large quantities; it is used both as 
an ingredient in food and as aremedy for scurvy, for which even in its worst form it 
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