KET, 



237 



Leaves ovatc-oblong, elliptic, or lanceolate, often 

 clasping. Fruit a berry or a j)od '718 



718. FloAvers axillary throughout the flowering period. 



TIG 



Flowers j)rimarily terminal, at length axillary, 



nodding 740 



7 19. Flowers solitary, axillary, on distorted and abrupt- 

 ly bent peduncles, drooping. Peduncles ascending first and 

 then, forming a sling or knee in the middle, deflexed. Peri- 

 anth bell-form ; sepals, each with a nectariferous pore at the 

 base, recurved-spreading from a little above the bell-shaped 

 base. Stamens inserted at the base ; anthers sagittate. 

 Berry red. Roots fibrous, matted. Streptopus. 



Flowers on im distorted peduncles, which are 1- to 

 4- (usually 2-) flowered, axillary, drooping. Stamens inserted 

 near the middle of the erect-lobed peiianth-tube. Berry 

 blue, or black. Rhizome creeping, thick, knotty. 



Polygonatum multiflorum, Desf. 



720. Flowers in terminal umbels, or heads. Scape 

 naked, or Avith sheathing leaves near the base ; rarely a stem 

 with 2 whorls of leaves. Perianth always corolline 721 



Flowers in racemes, panicles, corymbs, or solitary 

 (rarely in umbels, and then with the 6 sepals glumaceous). 



723 



TSl, Two whorls of leaves. Stem simple, clothed with 

 flocculent, deciduous w^ool, bearing 2 verticils of sessile obo- 

 vate-lanceolate leaves, one of 5-9 near the middle, and an- 

 other of 3 (smaller ones) at the top. Flowers small, re- 

 curved, i^ale greenish-yellow, about 4, in a terminal sessile 

 umbel. Style none ; stigmas 3. Berry dark purple. Root- 

 stock having the taste of the cucumber. 



Medeola Virginica, L. 

 Leaves not whorled. 722 



722. Perianth of 6 distinct sepals, bell-shaped, lily-like, 

 slightly downy outside, deciduous. Filaments thread-like. 

 Flowers rather large, greenish-yellow, or white. Berry 

 ovoid, blue, few- to many-seeded. Leaves 2-4, large, oblong 

 or oval, ciliate, sheathing at the base of the scape. 



Clintonia. 



