438 LILY FAMILY. 



sides, pointed, and the edges often sparsely bristly ; branches and branch- 

 lets angled. S. Mass., S. and W. 



= = = Peduncle 2-4 times as long as the petiole. 



S. bfspida, Muhl. Rootstock long; stem high- climbing, below beset 

 with long and dark, bristly prickles ; leaves ovate and heart-shaped, green 

 both sides, thin, 4'-5 / long ; flat peduncles 1 J'-2' long ; flowers larger than 

 in the Common Green Brier. Conn, to Minn., and S. 



S. Pseudo-China, Linn. CHINA BRIER. Rootstock tuberous ; prickles 

 none or rare ; leaves ovate and heart-shaped, green both sides, often con- 

 tracted in the middle, and rough-ciliate, 3'-5' long ; flat peduncles 2'-3' 

 long. N. J., W. and S. 



+- ->- Leaves evergreen; stigma, cell of the ovary, and seed only one. 



S. Iaurif61ia, Linn. Very smooth, high-climbing stern, with some 

 prickles ; leaves thick, glossy, varying from ovate to lanceolate, 3-nerved ; 

 peduncles not exceeding the petiole and pedicels ; berries black. Pine 

 barrens, N. J. , S. 



2. ASPARAGUS. (The ancient Greek name.) Flowers early summer. 



A. officinalis, Linn. COMMON ASPARAGUS. Cult, from Eu., for its escu- 

 lent spring shoots, spontaneous about gardens and waste places ; tall, 

 bushy- branched, the leaves thread-shaped ; berries red. 



A. plumosus, Baker. A S. African plant, much grown by florists for 

 the delicate spray ; climbing (or dwarf in var. NANUS), the false leaves 

 i' or less long in tufts, disposed in frond-like, slender branches ; flowers 

 small and white, stalked, on the tips of the branchlets. 



A. medeololdes, Thunb. (or MYRSIPHYLLUM ASPARAGOIDES). " SMILAX " 

 of the florists ; a very smooth, delicate twiner, cult, in conservatories for 

 winter decoration; the bright green so-called leaves (see Lessons, Fig. 

 107) 1' or more long, glossy-green both sides, nerved, set edgewise on the 

 branch, but turning so as to present an upper and under face ; the small 

 flowers produced in winter, sweet-scented, with reddish anthers; berries 

 greenish. Cape of Good Hope. 



3. CLINTONIA. (Named for DeWitt Clinton, once governor of New 

 York.) Cold moist woods ; flowers early summer. 



C. borealis, Raf. Only N. and along the mountains; flowers 2-7, 

 greenish-yellow, over ,}' long ; berry rather many-seeded. 



C. umbellata, Torr. Along the Alleghanies, N. Y., S.; flowers numer- 

 ous. }' long, white, speckled with green or purplish dots ; seeds only 2 in 

 each cell. 



4. DISFORUM. (Greek: double-seeded, from the 2-ovuled cells.) 



D. Ianugin6sum, Benth. & Hook. Rich woods, the whole length of 

 the Alleghany region to Canada ; branches widely spreading ; leaves 

 ovate-oblong, pointed, rounded, or slightly heart-shaped at the sessile base ; 

 flowers j' long, greenish ; style with 3 stigmas ; flowers late spring. 



5. STREPTOFUS, TWISTED STALK (which the name denotes in 

 Greek). In cold or wet woods ; flowers in late spring and early sum- 

 mer ; small, barely ' long. 



S. amplexif6lius, DC. Stem stout, rough at base, 2-3 high ; leaves 

 strongly clasping, smooth, glaucous beneath ; flower whitish, on a long 

 stalk with abrupt bend above the middle ; anthers slender-pointed ; 

 stigma truncate. N. Eng. to Minn, and O., and S. in the mountains. 



