LILY FAMILY. Liliacese. 



The pendulous position of the flowers of this genus, is 

 in a great measure protective ; the wind and weather can 

 not injure or uselessly scatter the pollen. The flowers, 

 moreover, have short styles and long anthers, and are 

 unquestionably cross-fertilized by the larger bees; the 

 bumblebees Bombus vagans, and Bombus pennsylvanicus 

 are common visitors, together with innumerable small 

 insects. 



, _ . The oblong-ovate, light green leaves 

 Solomon's Seal r* , , u 



Polygonatum smooth or finely hairy and paler beneath, 

 biflorum arranged alternately either side of the 



Pale green slender, smooth stem ; the cylindrical and 



April-June tassellike perfect flowers (each having six 

 stamens) depend in clusters of two, rarely three, below 

 them. An extremely pretty and graceful plant when 

 under cultivation. The fruit, at first a green berry with 

 a whitish bloom, at last becomes blue-black and resembles 

 a small Concord grape ; it imparts an additionally decora- 

 tive appearance to the plant. 1-3 feet high. Common 

 in thickets beside woodlands, and on hillsides. Me., 

 south, and west to E. Kan., Neb., and Tex. 



The plant is taller and smooth, without 

 Solomon's Seal * ne ^ ne na i rmess - Leaves ovate, pointed, 

 Polygonatum and partly clasping the plant-stem, 3-8 

 giganteum inches long, and many-ribbed. Flowers 



Pale Green j n c l us ters of from two to eight. Stem 



May-early s tout and round. 2-8 feet high. Meadows 

 and river banks. Me., south to Va., and 

 west to the Rocky Mts. 



