LILIIFLORJ3. 



311 



Arctic plant. The order is rich in pungent, poisonous alkaloids (veratrin, 

 colchicin, etc.). OFFICINAL; the seeds of Colchicum autumnale (Europe) and 

 Scluznocaulon officinale (Mexico), and the rhizome of Veratrum album (mountains 

 of Central Europe). 



Order 2. Liliaceae (Lilies). Flowers as in the Colchicaceee 

 but with introrse anthers ; ovary free, 3-locular, with single style ; 

 capsule 3-locular with loculicidal dehisceiice. The majority are 



A 



FIG-. 305. Colchicum autumnale. A Conn seen from the front : 7; corm s's" scale-leaves 

 embracing the flower- stalk ; trTi base of flower-stalk with roots (tc). B Longitudinal section 

 of corm and flower-stalk : hh brown membrane surrounding the underground portion of 

 the plant ; st flower- and leaf-stalk of previous year, the swollen basal portion forming the 

 reservoir of reserve material. The new plant is a lateral shoot from the base of the corm 

 (Jc) and has the following parts : the base bearing the roots (to), the central part (fc') which 

 becomes the corm in the next yenr, the axis bearing the scale-leaves (s', s"), the foliage- 

 leaves (I, I'"), and the flowers (b, b') which are borne in the axils of the uppermost foliage- 

 leaves. 



