(293) 



Has the reputation of being poisonous, but 

 is certainly not so to hogs, who devour its 

 bulbs greedily and without any injury to them- 

 selves. 



3, Xerophyllum Rich. 



Perigonium 6-sepalous; sepals sessile, per- 

 sistent; 3 internal ones smaller. Stamens in- 

 serted on the base of sepals; anthers laterally 

 dehiscent. Ovary 3-celled; cells few-ovulate; 

 styles 3, recurved, persistent. Capsule septici- 

 clal. 2. Hhizomatous. Leaves linear, elon- 

 gate. Inflorescence racemose. 



1. X. TENAX Nutt. Flowers white. --Tamal- 

 pais. Wright's Station. Spring. 



This plant is remarkable by its flowering 

 plentifully at certain years and then disappear- 

 ing altogether for a long period. This circum- 

 stance is probably owing to the fact that the 

 plant requires a fixed age before flowering and 

 then dies after having ripened its seeds. We 

 find the same peculiarity in many species of 

 Bamboo, in some palms, viz. : Corypha, and in 

 Agave, all of which plants are annuals in a 

 botanical sense, but require a number of years 

 to complete their biological cycle. 



Family 4, JUNCACE^l, 



Perigonium glumaceous. Anthers basifixed. 



