LILY FAMILY. Liliacese. 



Blazing star, The ste m bearing light green, flat, lance- 

 or Devil's Bit shaped (blunt) leaves at the base with sev- 

 Chamce'ttritim e ral shorter, narrower ones farther up, 

 (^roUnianum and terminated by a f ea thery spike 4-10 

 June-July inches long of small, fragrant flowers, 



white with a tinting of the yellow stamens 

 characterizing the staminate, and in conspicuous white 

 the pistillate ones. It is quite dependent upon insects 

 for cross-fertilization, the staminate flowers growing on 

 one plant and pistillate on another ; the flower-cup has 

 six narrow, spreading white sepals. The pistillate plant 

 is more leafy. Fruit an oblong capsule. The name, 

 which was first applied to a half-grown, low speci- 

 men, is from x<*L ia h on the ground, and \Eipiov, lily. 

 The wandlike stem 1-4 feet high. Low grounds and 

 swamps, from Mass. to Ga., west to Neb. and Ark. 

 Bunch Flower The l° we st leaves nearly 1 inch wide, 

 Melanthium the few upper ones small, and linear or 

 Virginicum grass-shaped. Flowers polygamous, i. e., 

 Cream yellow, stam j nate) pistillate, and perfect on 

 June-August tne same plant. It does not, therefore, 



rely fully upon insects for fertilization. 

 Flower-cup of six separate, greenish cream yellow sepals 

 turning brown with age. Fruit, an ovoid-conical cap- 

 sule, three-lobed. The name is from /xeXai^ black, and 

 avBoS, flower, in allusion to the dark color which the 

 flower assumes upon withering. The leafy, slender 

 stem is 3-5 feet high. It grows in wet woods and mead- 

 ows, from Conn., south to S. Car., west to Minn, and 

 Tex. 



Indian Poke or A leafy perennial herb with very poison- 

 American ous coarse roots, remarkable in the early 



Whlte stage of its development for its beautiful 



Hellebore „ . , , . . , 



Veratrum P ure yellow-green color, which becomes 



viride darker and dull within four weeks, and 



Dull yellow- finally withers to an unsightly brown be- 

 green fore tne BUmmer i s i n its prime. The 



broad ovate, clasping leaves are scored with 

 numerous ribs, and crinkled in parallel lines. The un- 

 interesting large flower-spike is dull yellow-green turn- 



46 



