662 MELANTHACEA VERATRUM 
grass-like leaves and perfect, polygamous or diccious flowers 
in terminal racemes, panicles orumbels. Perianth of 6 distinct 
or nearly distinct mostly persistent segments. Stamens 6, 
borne on the hase of the perianth-segments. Anthers small, 
2-celled or confluently 1-celled, cordate or reniform, mostl 
extrorsely dehiscent. Ovary 3-celled, superior or partly inferi- 
or, with few to numerous anatropous or amphitropous ovules 
in each cell. Styles 3, distinct or more or less united. Fruit 
a mostly septicidal few- to many-seeded capsule. Seeds com- 
monly appendaged. Embryo small, in copious albumen. 
* Leaves not rigid nor equitant: flowers usuaily polygamous: anth- 
eas l-celled, peltate after opening. 
1 Veratrum Stems tall and stout, from a thick rootstock: leaves broad, 
strongly nerved and plicate. 
2 Stenanthella Stem erect, from a coated bulb: leaves linear, keeled: 
flowers in panicled racemes: perianth nodding, its segments acuminate, 
without glands, 
3 Zygadenus Stem erect, from a coated bulb: leaves linear : inflorescence 
racemose or subpaniculate: perianth erect, the segments not acumin- 
ate, glandular at base- 
* * Flowers perfect, on bracteolate pedicels in a simple raceme on 
an equitant-leafy stem from a creeping rootstock: anthers 2-celled, 
introrse : seeds numerous. 
4 Tofieldia Flowers involucrate with 3 scarious united bractlets: fila- 
ments naked; stvle short: capsule ovate, 3-beaked: seeds horizontal, 
not caudate. 
5 Abama _ Bractlets linear: filaments woolly: style none: capsule oblong, 
attenuate upward: seeds ascending, caudate at each end. 
* * *- Stems stout, very leafy, from a thick rhizome: leaves very 
narrow, rigid and rough-margined: flowers perfect, on naked pedicels 
in a simple dense raceme. 
6 Xerophyllum Flowers white, on long pedicels: segments 5-7-nerved : 
seeds few, not appendaged. 
1 VERATRUM L. Sp. 1044. 
Tall perennial herbs with thick rootstocks, broad strongly vein- 
ed plicate leaves and rather large flowers in a terminal pubescent 
panicle, the lower flowers mostly staminate only. Perianth of 6 
distinct similar segments. Stamens free, with subulate filaments 
and cordate confluently 1-celled anthers that are peltate after 
opening. Ovary sessile, 3-celled. Styles distinct, stigmatic at 
the apex. Capsule membranaceous, 3-beaked by the persistent 
diverging styles, septicidal to,the base. Seeds several in each. 
cell, ascending, compressed and margined or winged, with close 
thin whitish testa. 
VY. virida Ait. Hort, Kew. iii, 422. Stems stout, 2-7 feet high, very 
leafy : leaves broadly elliptical and acute, or the upper ones lanceolate and 
acuminate, 3-9 inches long: branches of the simple panicle slender, more 
or less drooping: bracts foliaceous, lanceolate, usually nearly equalling the 
