124 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



1, Polygonatum biflorum (Walt.) Ell. 



Moist or dry woodlands; common. May. Eastern V. S. {Salomonia liflora 

 Farwell.) 



2. Polygonatum giganteum Dietr. 



Islands of the Potomac. May. Pa. and Md. to Mont. 

 A large plant, up to 1.5 meters high. 



5. MEDEOLA L. 



1. Medeola virginiana L. Cucumber root. 



Frequent in moist woods and thickets generally. May. Eastern U. S. 



The odor of the fleshy root suggests cucumbers. The upper whorl of leaves becomes 

 purple and red when the fruit ripens. Known also as Indian cucumber. 



6. TRILLIUM L. Wake-robin. 



1. Trillium sessile L. 



Locally common in rich moist woodland above Little Falls on the shores and islands 

 of the Potomac. Apr .-May. Eastern U. S. 



The forms with purple flowers and with green flowers are otherwise identical; the 

 latter is T. sessile luteum Muhl. The purple-flowered form is shown in plate 18B. 



28. SMILACACEAE. Smilax Family. 



1. SMILAX L. Greenbrier. 



Aerial shoots herbaceous, spineless, less than 3 meters high; underground stems slow- 

 growing, knotted and woody, never with long creeping rootstocks; flowers carrion- 

 scented; ovules 2 in a cell. 

 Anthers equaling the filaments; peduncles usually more than one at a node; leaves 



often hastate, pale and glaucous beneath, glabrous 1. S. tamnoides. 



Anthers shorter than the filaments; peduncles never more than one at a node; 

 leaves never hastate. 



Leaves glabrous and glaucous beneath 2. S . herhacea. 



Leaves puberulent and green beneath 3. S. pulverulenta. 



Aerial shoots woody, armed with spines, at least on the main stems, usually high- 

 climbing; flowers not carrion-scented; ovules solitary in each cell. 

 Underground stems short, slow-growing, without long creeping rootstocks; plants 

 not at all glaucous; spines slender, black, straight, numerous below; berries 



black, usually one-seeded 4. S. hispida. 



L^nderground stems with long creeping rootstocks; at least the flowers and fruit 

 glaucous; spines stout; berries blue-black, usually 3-eeeded. 

 Stem and leaves not glaucous; leaves deciduous; spines heavy, straight, never 

 at nodes and fewer at base of stems; stems green (drying yellowish). 



5. S. rotundifolia. 

 Stem and leaves glaucous; leaves more or less evergreen; spines strong, recurved, 

 usually at nodes and more numerous at base of stem; stems dark. 



6. S. glauca. 



1. Smilax tamnoides L. 



Swamps and wet woods; common northeast of Washington, Eastern Branch region. 

 June-July. Southeastern U. S. (S. tavxnifolia of Ward's Flora.) 



This species can be recognized by its yellowish green color, thicker leaves, and 1-3- 

 eeeded berries. The occurrence of more than one peduncle at a node is an interesting 

 difference between this and the other species. 



2. Smilax herbacea L. Carrion flower. 

 Open wooded rocky slopes; frequent in Great Falls region and in swamps of the 



Eastern Branch. June-July. Northeastern U. S., south in the mountains to N. C. 



