272 LILIACE.E. 



titioners, and is highly esteemed by them as a hydragogue cathartic, an 

 alterative, sialagogue, vermifuge, and diuretic. 



LILIACE/E. 



Character of the Order. Herbs, rarely woody plants, with bulbs, corms, 

 rhizomes, or fibrous roots, simple, sheathing or clasping leaves, and regu- 

 lar flowers. Perianth colored, of 6 divisions or 6-cleft ; stamens 6 ; ovary 

 3-celled ; style single ; stigma simple or 3-lobed. Fruit 3-celled, capsular 

 or succulent. 



A very large order in temperate and tropical regions. Many of them 

 are actively emetic, cathartic, etc., while others, as the onion and garlic, 

 are edible. 



TRILLIUM. THREE-LEAVED NIGHTSHADE. 



Character of the Genus. Divisions of the perianth in 2 series, the 

 outer 3 (sepals) lanceolate, spreading, often foliaceous, persistent; the 

 inner 3 (petals) larger, colored, withering. Anthers on short filaments, ad- 

 nate. Styles or sessile stigmas 3, separate down to the ovary, persistent. 

 Ovary 3- to 6-angled. Fruit an ovate, 3-celled, many-seeded berry. 



Perennial herbs with a simple stem rising from a short thick rhizome, 

 and bearing a whorl of 3 leaves and a single terminal flower. 



Trillium erectum Linne. Bethroot, Birthroot, Wake-Robin. 



Description. Flower on a slender, erect or inclined peduncle, 1 to 3 

 inches long. Petals ovate, acutish, dark purple, spreading, withering, a 

 little longer than the sepals. Leaves dilated-rhomboidal, about as broad 

 as long. It blooms in May. 



A variety of this species (uar. album Pursh T. pendulum Aiton) has 

 the petals greenish-white or yellowish. 



Habitat. In rich woods ; common. The variety is found in similar 

 locations. 



Trillium g rand if lo rum Salisbury. Large White Wake-Robin. 



Description. Flower on a slender erect or inclined peduncle, 2 to 3 

 inches long. Petals obovate, spreading, 2 to 2 inches long, much longer 

 than the sepals, white, changing to rose-color and finally withering. 

 Leaves rhomboid- obovate, longer than broad. It blooms in June. 



Habitat. In rich woods from Vermont to Kentucky, Wisconsin and 

 northward. 



The above described species of trillium will serve to illustrate the ge- 

 nus. There is probably little difference in the activity of any indigenous 

 species, and all are collected indiscriminately. 



Parts Used. The rhizome and rootlets not official. 



Constituents. In addition to common vegetable constituents, as starch, 



