229 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
SPECIESI—-NARTHECIUM OSSIFRAGUM. Zuds. 
Pirate MDXLITL. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. X. Tab, CCCCXXT, 
Anthericum Ossifragum, Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 446. 
The only known species. 
On boggy heaths and spongy bogs. Not uncommon, and generally 
distributed. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer, Autumn. 
Rootstock extensively creeping, slender, emitting dense tufts of 
root-fibres, and at intervals leaf- tufts and flowering stems, the two latter 
enveloped at the base by scarious sheaths and the fibrous remains 
of decayed leaves and sheaths. Leaves linear-ensiform, commonly 
slightly falcate, 2 to 18 inches long, pale green, with several very 
strong ribs. Flowering stem 4 to. 18 inches high, without falcate 
leaves at the base, with “several minute bractlike leaves with scarious 
margins, the lower stem-leaves with completely sheathing bases, the 
upper ones semi-amplexicaul. Raceme 1 to 4 inches high. Pedicels 
spreading in flower, erect in fruit, with a bract at the base, and often 
a bracteole above the middle. Perianth leaves spreading in flower, 
connivent in fruit, about } inch long, lanceolate-strapshaped, yellow, 
greenish on the middle of the back, ‘where there are 3 or 5 strong 
ribs. Anthers orange-scarlet. Capsule longer than the perianth leaves, 
about = inch, slender, much acuminated at the apex, brick red. Seeds 
very minute, with an elongated tail at each extremity. 
N. Americanum is evidently only a subspecies having the leaves 
narrower than the European plant, and the flowers and capsule 
smaller. 
Lancashire Asphodel. 
French, Narthécie des marais. German, Gemeines Beinheil. 
This little plant is common on wet moors and the boggy sides of hills. Since 
sheep pasturing in such localities are liable to the rot, it was formerly thought that 
this disease was attributable to the herbage on which they fed; and hence this 
innoxious plant received the ill-omened name ossifragum, or “ bone-breaker.”’ 
Sus-Orpver IV.—MELANTHEZ. 
Leaves of the perianth free or combined, usually all similar and 
petaloid or herbaceous. Styles free. Fruit a dry capsule, septicidally 
3-valved. 
Herbs with the root of fasciculated fibres; the rootstock rarely a 
bulb or oblique-based corm. Stems simple, rarely branched or nearly 
absent. Leaves parallel-veined, sometimes equitant and ensiform. 
