268 CONVALLARIACEAE 



5. OXYTRIA Kaf. 



Scapose herbs, with bulb-like corms. Leaves basal, often numerous : blades narrow, 

 elongated. Flowers perfect, regular, in terminal racemes or panicles. Pedicels solitary. 

 Perianth white or yellow : sepals and petals 3 each, distinct, 3-nerved, withering-persis- 

 tent. Stamens 6 : filaments adnate to the base of the sepals and petals : anthers versatile, 

 introrsely dehiscing. Ovary sessile or nearly so, 3-celled : style filiform : stigma 3-lobed. 

 Ovules 2 in each cavity, anatropous. Capsule not elongated, 3-angled, leathery, loculic- 

 idally 2-valved. Seeds few, sometimes angled. Embryo straight, as long as the fleshy en- 

 dosperm. [Schoenolirion Durand.] 



Perianth bright yellow : bracts obtuse. 1. 0. crocea. 

 Perianth white or greenish white : bracts acute or acuminate. 



Racemes mostly simple : bracts acute: seeds 2 mm. long. 2. O. Texana. 



Racemes mostly pamcled : bracts acuminate : seeds 4 mm. long. 3. 0. aUriflora. 



1. Oxytria crocea (Michx. ) Kaf. Leaves basal, erect or ascending ; blades narrowly 

 linear, 2-4 dm. long, attenuate : scapes often tufted, scarcely taller than the leaves, simple 

 below the racemes, slender : racemes 3-10 cm. long, simple: pedicels ascending, 5-13 mm. 

 long : bracts obtuse : perianth bright yellow, about 1 cm. broad : sepals and petals oblong 

 or oblong-oblanceolate, rather obtuse : capsules 3-lobed, 4-5 mm. broad : seeds black, 3 mm. 

 long. [Schoenolirion croceum (Michx.) A. Gray.] 



In sandy soil, Georgia and Florida to Louisiana. Spring. 



2. Oxytria Texana (Scheele) Pollard. Leaves basal; blades narrowly linear, 1-4 dm. 

 long, attenuate : scapes erect, about as long as the longer leaves, simple below the inflores- 

 cence : racemes 5-10 cm. long, mostly simple : pedicels ascending or spreading, 8-14 mm. 

 long : perianth greenish white, about 1 cm. broad : sepals and petals oblong, obtuse : cap- 

 sules 3-lobed: seeds 2 mm. long. [Schoenolirion Tejcanum (Scheele) A. Gray.] 



On prairies, Louisiana and Texas. Spring. 



3. Oxytria albiflora (Raf. ) Pollard. Leaves basal ; blades narrowly linear, 4-6 dm. 

 long, gradually contracted from the base: scapes erect, somewhat longer than the lea v< ~. 

 paniculately branched above : pedicels ascending, 1-2.5 cm. long, ascending : perianth 

 white, 10-12 mm. broad : sepals and petals broadly oblong or oval, obtuse, 5-nerved : cap- 

 sules 3-lobed, 5-6 mm. broad : seeds 4 mm. long. [Schoenolirion EUiottii Feay.] 



In low pine lands, Georgia and Florida. Spring. 



FAMILY 5. CONVALLARIACEAE Link. LILY-OF-THE- VALLEY FAMILY. 



Perennial scapose or caulescent herbs, with rootstocks ; never with bulbs or 

 corms. Leaves alternate, sometimes all basal, sometimes reduced to scales. 

 Flowers perfect, regular, in terminal umbel-like clusters, racemes, panicles, or 

 solitary, or sometimes 1 or several in the axils. Perianth inferior : sepals and 

 petals 2 or 3 each, distinct or partially united. Androecium of 6 hypogynous 

 stamens. Filaments partly adnate to the perianth. Gynoecium of 2-3 united 

 carpels. Ovary 2 or 3-celled, superior. Styles mostly united. Stigma 2 or 3- 

 lobed. Ovules 2-several, anatropous or amphitropous. Fruit a fleshy berry, or 

 rarely a tardily dehiscent capsule. Seeds few or numerous. Embryo surrounded 

 by copious endosperm. 



Leaves reduced to scales : branchlets very numerous, filiform. 1. ASPARAGUS. 



Leaves normal : stems or scapes simple or sparingly branched. 

 Sepals and petals distinct. 



Plants scapose : leaves basal. 2. CLINTONIA. 



Plants caulescent : leaves cauline. 



Flowers in terminal racemes or panicles. 



Sepals and petals 3 each : stamens 6. 3. VAGNERA. 



Sepals and petals 2 each : stamens 4. 4. UNIFOLIUM. 



Flowers axillary or opposite the leaves, solitary, or few in the clusters. 

 Fruit a berry : filaments mostly longer than the anthers. 



Flowers axillary : filaments slender : anthers acute. 5. STREPTOPUS. 



Flowers terminal : filaments dilated : anthers obtuse. 6. DISPORUM. 



Fruit a capsule : filaments mostly shorter than the anthers. 



Sepals and petals with 2 ridges on either side of a deep nectary : cap- 

 sules obovoid or turbinate, 3-lobed. 7. UVULARIA. 

 Sepals and petals without ridges or nectary : capsules elliptic or oval, 



3- winged. 8. OAKESIELLA. 



Sepals and petals partially united into a tube. 



Flowers axillary : perianth tubular : anthers sagittate. 9. SALOMOXIA. 



Flowers in terminal racemes : perianth campanulate : anthers oblong. 10. CONVALLARIA. 



