248 MELANTHACEAE 



FAMILY 1. MELANTHACEAE R. Br. BUNCH-FLOWER FAMILY. 



Perennial caulescent or scapose herbs, with elongated or bulb-like rootstocks. 

 Leaves alternate, sometimes all basal : blades various, often much elongated. 

 Flowers perfect, polygamous or dioecious, regular, in terminal spikes, racemes 

 or panicles, or solitary. Perianth mostly inconspicuous : sepals and petals each 

 3, distinct or nearly so. Androecium of 6 stamens, or rarely of 9-12. Filaments 

 often adnate to the base of the sepals and petals. Anthers 2-celled and oblong 

 or ovoid, or confluently 1-celled and cordate or reniform, usually versatile, ex- 

 trorse, or rarely introrsely dehiscent. Gynoecium of 3 united carpels. Ovary 

 3-celled, superior or rarely slightly inferior. Styles 3, distinct. Ovules few or 

 many in each cavity, anatropous or amphitropous. Fruit a septicidally 3-valved 

 capsule or rarely also loculicidal. Seeds commonly appendaged. Embryo 

 minute, in copious endosperm. 



Anthers oblong or ovoid, 2-celled. 

 Anther-sacs introrsely dehiscent. 



Bracts short : flowers subtended by 3 connate bractlets : stamens 6 : anthers erect. 



Flowers in centripetal racemes : seeds unappendaged. 1. TOFIELDIA. 



Flowers in centrifugal panicles : seeds appendaged. 2. TRJANTHA. 



Bracts spathe-like : bractlets wanting : stamens 9-12 : anthers versatile. 3. PLEEA. 



Anther-sacs extrorsely dehiscent. 



Flowers perfect: capsule with 6 seeds : leaf-blades elongated, very slender. 4. XEROPHYLLUM. 

 Flowers dioecious : capsule with many seeds : leaf-blades flattened. 5. CHAMAELIRIUM. 



Anthers cordate or reniform, sometimes becoming peltate, confluently 1-celled. 

 Sepals and petals glandless. 



Inflorescence racemose or spicate : flowers perfect. 



Flowers in spikes or long spike-like racemes : styles short and stout. 6. SCHOENOCAULON. 



Flowers in broad racemes : styles long and slender. 



Filaments nearly as long as the sepals and petals: capsules broader 



than long, with widely spreading styles. 7. CHROSPERMA. 



Filaments surpassing the sepals and petals : capsules much longer 



than broad, with erect styles. 8. TRACYANTHUS. 



Inflorescence paniculate : flowers polygamous. 



Ovary wholly superior : hypanthium scarcely developed : sepals and 



petals obtuse. 9. VERATRUM. 



Ovary inferior at the base : hypanthium manifestly developed : sepals 



and petals acuminate. 10. STENANTHIUM. 



Sepals and petals with glands at or near the base. 

 Sepals and petals with a single gland each. 



Flowers polygamous : rootstocks fibrous-coated. 11. OCEANOROS. 



Flowers perfect : rootstocks membranous-coated. 12. TOXICOSCORDION. 



Sepals and petals with two glands each. 



Sepals and petals barely clawed : flowers perfect : seeds wingless : plants 



glabrous. 13. ZYGADENUS. 



Sepals and petals long-clawed: flowers polygamous : seeds winged: plants 



pubescent. 14. MELANTHIUM. 



1. TOFIELDIA Huds. 



Perennial herbs, with glabrous foliage. Stems rigid, often scape-like. Leaves basal 

 or mainly so : blades narrow, rather few. Flowers perfect, in erect terminal simple, centrip- 

 etal recemes. Sepals and petals white or green, nearly equal, narrow, glandless, persist- 

 ent. Stamens 6, hypogynous, at least the outer series : filaments filiform, sometimes 

 slightly flattened. Ovules numerous in each cavity. Capsule 3-celled, 3-beaked, dehiscent 

 to the base. Seeds unappendaged. 



1. Tofieldia glabra Nutt. Stems erect, 3-6 dm. tall : leaf-blades linear, 5-40 cm. 

 long or shorter above : racemes cylindric, 2-10 cm. long, 1.5 cm. thick : pedicels solitary, 

 ascending, 2-4 mm. long : sepals and petals white, oblong or ovate-oblong, 2-3 mm. long, 

 acute : capsules 3-3.5 mm. long. 



In low pine lands, North Carolina and South Carolina. Fall. 



2. TRIANTHA Nutt. 



Perennial herbs, with pubescent foliage. Stems nearly naked. Leaves mainly basal : 

 blades narrow, flat. Flowers perfect, in erect narrow centrifugal panicles. Sepals and 

 petals white or greenish, nearly equal, glandless, persistent. Stamens 6, mainly hypogy- 

 nous : filaments slender. Ovules numerous in each cavity. Capsule 3-celled, dehiscent 

 to the base or near it. Seeds with tail-like appendages at each end. 



Sepals and petals membranous : capsules oblong, 6-7 mm. long. 1. T. glutinosa. 



Sepals and petals rigid at maturity : capsules ovoid, 3-4 mm. long. 2. T, racemosa. 



