208 l:lil II < \\\lil. POD K'MilAC&E PICKEREL-WEED-FAM. \\ . .ll.VCACE.fi RCSH-FAM. 



cnneate. Anther* sagittate, longer than the very short fila- 

 ments. Berry roundish, 3-cclled. Cells few-seeded. 



1. S. rosens. Tvristfoot. 



Stem smooth, somewhat Moot, dlchotomonriy branching ; leaves orate, long- 

 acuminate, roanded and clasping >t base, clliate on the margin, smooth and 

 green on both aid**; peduncle* opposite the leaves, but bent and contorted so 

 as to appear axillary, filiform, iwrnknt ; flowers small, rose-color, spotted, more 

 than half a* long at Uie short peduncle ; stigma obscurely 8-parted. An elegant 

 plant, 10 7 iy high, common In dense, evergreen woods, especially In North- 

 ern district.* and on mountains. JfityJmu. 



IS. ASPARAGUS. 



Perianth erect, 6-parted ; segments spreading above, with iln> 

 6 stamen* at base. Style short. Stigma 8-lobed. Berry globu- 

 lar, 8-celled. Cells 2-seeded. 



1. A. officiiialis. Asparagus. 



Stan erect, very branching, herbaceous; leaves setaceous, In clusters, pale 

 green ; flowers small, axillary, solitary or 2 together, yellowish-green ; berries 

 red. A plant generally cultivated for Its young shoots. It Is to some extent 

 naturalized along the sea-coast. Stem 84 ft. high. June. 



ORDER CXXXIII. Pontederiacese. Pickerel- 

 weed-family. 



\. PONTEDfcRIA. 



Perianth funnel-form, bilabiate, upper lip 3-partd ; lower lip 

 of 3 spreading divisions, forming the curving tube of the perianth, 

 and separating more or less nearly down to the base ; lower part 

 persistent, inclosing the fruit. Stamens G, 3 inserted near the 

 summit of the tube, and exsert; 3 near the base (often imperfect) 

 with very short filaments. Ovary 3-cclled, 1-ovuled. Per. 



1. P. cordata. Pickerel-weed. 



Stem Uilck and stout, erect, 1-K-sved; leaves mostly radical, cordate-sagit- 

 tate, smooth and glossy-green, petlolate; flowers blue, in a dense, terminal 

 spike, furnished with a bract-like spatbe; tube of the perianth marked with 

 toothed ridges; anthers blue. A showy aquatic, common In shallow water and 

 muddy borders of ponds, arising from s. creeping rhlzoma. Scape 10' 18' 

 above water. It varies with scarcely cordate leaves. July. 



ORDER CXXXIV. Melanthacese. ColcJii- 

 cuin-family. 



1. VERATRUM. 



Flowers polygamous ; segments of the perianth 6, distinct, 

 spreading, without glands at base. Stamens 6, shorter than the 

 perianth, and inserted at the base of its segment*. Ovaries 3, 

 united at base, often abortive. Capsule 3-Iobed, separating into 

 8 carpel*. 



1. V. vfride. White Hellebore. 



Sim simple, stout, tall, very leafy, pubescent; leaves broad-oval, acumin- 

 ate, strongly veined and plaited, sheathing at base ; flowers dull-yellowish- 

 green, very numerous, In long, bract] raceme*, forming a very large, pyra- 

 midal, terminal panicle. A coarao and rank-looking herb, common In low 

 meadows and swamp*. Stem 8 i ft high ; leave* V V long. The root Is 

 extremely poisonous, and Is sometime* used In medicine. June. 



ORDI i: < ' X X X V . Junciicefle. Rusli-family. 



1. LtZCLA. 



I'< riitnth persistent Stamens 6. Stigmas 8. Capsule 1- 

 elled, 8-Mcded. Leant! yrau-likt. 



\. L. piloua. Wood Ruth. 



LMVSS Unear-UixwoUUv, hairy with long, whitish hairs; flowers usually 



solitary, pedunculate, In a long, leafy umbel ; sepals acuminate ; eapsnle* ob- 

 tuse. A little grass-like plant, with hairy leaves, not uncommon in open woodi 

 and groves. Stem 4'- 8' high. JKiy. 



2. L. campestris. / 7,Wi. 



Leave* linear, hairy, especially on the margin ; flowers In little spikes, ar- 

 ranged In a sort of umbel on peduncles of different lengths, the central one being 

 nearly sessile, all light brown or yellowish; sepals acuminate, awm-1 

 than the obtuse capsule. A still more common species than the last, clearly 

 distinguished by Its flowers, sessile In little splkelets, and not on solitary pedun- 

 cles. Plant 8' lO* high, growing In fields and open woods. May. 



. . 



Perianth persistent, 6-parted. Stamens 6, rarely 3. Stigmas 

 3. Capsule 3-cclled, loculicidal, many-seeded. 



* Leajkti. Flotcert lateral. 



\. J. effrisus. Bullrush. 



Scape erect, soft and flexible, strlato, sheathed at base ; flowers In a sessile, 

 very branching panicle, proceeding from a fissure In the side of the scape above 

 the middle, small, numerous, greenish ; sepals acute ; stamens mostly 8; cap- 

 sule obtuse. A common Rush, growing In tufts in wet grounds. Scape slen- 

 der, 23 ft. high. June July. 



* * Leaves nearly round, knotted, botk cauline and radical. 

 terminal, 



2. J. paradoxus. 



Appendaged Hush. 



Stem somewhat stout, round; leaves nearly or quite round; flowcn In 

 greenish, many-flowered, globose heads, forming a decompound panicle ; sepals 

 lanceolate, tapering to a slightly subulate point A common species in wet 

 grounds, distinguished by Its decompound panicle and globular, many-flowered 

 heads. Stem 2 ft high. July Aug. 



3. J. acuminatus. Bog Eusli. 



Stem erect, round; leaves few, round or nearly so; flowers in many or few 

 brownish, few-flowered heads, arranged In a panicle with somewhat spreading 

 branches ; sepals linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, very acute, much shorter than 

 the acute, triangular capsule. A common species In bogs and along ponds. 

 Stem 10' 18' high, slender. Aug. 



* Leavaflat or channelled, or tomeic/iat involute. Flomrv terminal. 



4. J. tenuis. Slender 



Stem very slender, erect, leafless, except at base ; leaves linear, setaceous, 

 shorter than the stem ; bracts of the Involucre 2 8, recurved, much longer 

 than the cymoso panicles ; flowers separate, rarely sessile. In a loose, somewhat 

 uinbellcd, cymose panicle, wilh unequal brandies ; sepals lanceolate, acuminate, 

 longer than the ovoid-globose capsule. A common and very slenil. 

 along paths and In fields, distinguished by Its narrow leave* and separate 

 flowers. 



5. J. Grerardi. Black Grass. 



Stem simple, compressed, leafy, rigidly erect, or procumbent; leaves mostly 

 radical, very narrowly-linear, shorter than the stem ; flowers In a small, few- 

 flowered, crowded panicle; bracts of the Involucre shorter than the panicle; 

 sepals oblong-ovate, obtuse, about as long as the obtuse capsule. A 

 species In salt marshes, where It Is distinguished by Its dark green foliage and 

 dark brown fruit. Stem V 12' high. July. 



G. J. buKiniua. Annual liusli. 



Stem slender, leafy, often branching at base ; leaves channelled, very nar- 

 rowly linear ; flowers greenish, remote, sessile, forming a spreading ili 

 ously branching panicle; sepals lanceolate, subulate at the point, much longer 

 than tho obtuse capsule. A little, annual species, growing In tufts, and 

 gnlsbod by Its branching stem and dlcbotomous panicle. Stems 3'*' high. 

 Common along road-sides, June Aug. 



7. J. margin:'itu<. 



Broad-leaved JRusJt. 



Stem erect, compressed, leafy ; leaves linear, thick, somewhat gnus-like ; 

 flowers clustered In little, few-flowered heads, and forming a cymose panicle, 

 which Is simple or compound ; sepals oblong, si long as the globular capsule, 

 light brown ; stamen* 8. A common species In Southern N. Eng. and N. York, 

 In low grounds, distinguished by Its comparatively broad, grass-like leaves, sad 

 nearly flat and somewhat dento, cymose panicles. Stem 13 ft. high. July. 



