LILIACEJ3. (LILT FAMILY.) 465 



longer than the linear-oblong anthers, -which are attached by their back near 

 the middle, extrorse. Style none : stigmas 3, recurved-diverging, long and 

 thread-form (stigmatic aloug the upper side), deciduous. Berry spherical 

 (dark purple), 3-celled, few-seeded. — A perennial herb, with a simple slender 

 stem (l°-3° high, clothed with flocculent deciduous wool) rising from a hori- 

 zontal and tuberous white rootstock (which has the taste of the cucumber), 

 bearing a whorl of 5-9 obovate-lanceolate and pointed sessile leaves near the 

 middle, and another of 3 smaller ovate ones at the top, subtending a sessile 

 umbel of small recurved flowers. (Named after the sorceress Medea, from 

 the imaginary notion that it possesses great medicinal virtues.) 



1. M. Virgillica, L. (Gyromia, Nutt.) — Rich damp woods. June. 



Order 126. L.IL.IACE.3S. (Lily Family.) 



Herbs, with parallel-nerved sessile or sheathing leaves, regular perfect 6- 

 (rarely 4-) androus jioicers with the petal-like consimUar 6-merow perianth 

 free from the 2 -3-celled ovary, introrse anthers attached by a point, and the 

 style single. — Stigmas 3, or combined into one. Fruit a 3-valved loculi- 

 cidal pod, or a berry, many- few-seeded. Seeds anatropous or amphitro 

 pous. Embryo slender or minute, in fleshy or hard albumen. See Add. 



Synopsis. 



Tribe I. ASPAItAGEiE. Fruit u few-seeded berry, 2-3-celIed. Albumen homy. 

 Not bulbous : rootstocks creeping or tuberous Pedicels jointed under the flower. 



* Stems branching, very leafy. Seeds amphitropous. 



1. ASPARAGUS. Perianth 6-parted. Leaves thread-like or bristle-form. Pedicels jointed 



* * Stem simple, leafy. 



2. POLYGONATUM. Perianth tubular, 6 -cleft: stamens above the middle Flowers axillary. 



8. SMILACINA. Perianth 4 -6-parted, spreading, the stamens borne at the base. Flowers in 



a raceme. 



* * * Scape naked. 



4. CONVALLAllIA Perianth bell -shaped, 6- lobed. Flowers in a simple raceme. 



6. CL1NTONIA Perianth of 6 separate sepals Stamens hypogynous. Flowers in an umbel. 



Tribe II. ASPHODELE^S. Fruit a few- many seeded pod, 3-celled Seed-coat cm s- 

 taceous, black. 



* Not bulbous. Perianth united in a tube below. 



6. HEMEROCALLIS. Perianth funnel-form Stamens declined Pod many-seeded. 



* * Bulbous : scape simple Perianth 6-sejpalled or 6-parted. 



7. ORNITIIOGALUM. Flowers corymbed, never blue or reddish Style 3-sided. 

 8 SCILLA. Flowers racemed, purple or blue Style thread-like. 



9. ALLIUM Flowers umbelle"d, from a gpathe. Sepals 1-uerved. 



Tribe III. TULIPACEjE. Fruit a many-seeded 3-celled pod. Seed-coat pale. Peri- 

 anth 6-leaved 



* Bulbous herbs. Perianth deciduous 

 10. LILIUM. Stem leafy. Pod oblong. Seeds vertically much flattened 



11 ERYTHKONIUM. Scape naked, 1-flowered Pod obovate-triangular: seeds ovoid. 



* * Not bulbous : :-tem (caudex) perennial. Perianth not deciduous. 



12 YUOUA. Flowers in a terminal panicle. Leaves crowded rigid and persistent 



