LiLiACK.i-:. (lily family.) 525 



witli 2-6 <ivnlos I'ji oach coll; style slendor, deciduous l)y a joint; stin^ma olv 

 tuse or capitate, ohscurely .'J-lol)ed. Berry j^luluilar, Ijlack or l»liie ; the cells 

 l-2-8eede(l. — Perennial herhs, with siiiii)le erect or curving stems, from 

 creeping; thick and knotted rootstocks, naked below, above Ixtariu^ nearly 

 sessile or half-chu^pinf:; nerved leaves, and axillary nodding greenish Howers; 

 pedicels jointed near tlie flower. (The ancient name, composed of iroAi's, many, 

 and y6pu, knee, alludin*:; to the unmerons joints of the rootstock and stem.) — 

 (^)urs are alternate-leaved species, the stem terete or scarcely angk-d when 

 fresh. 



1. P. bifl6rum, Ell. (S.maller Solo.mon's Seal.) Glabrous, except 

 the ovate-oblong or lance-oblong nearli/ sessile leaves, which are commonly 

 viinutelij pubescent as well as pale or (jlattcous underneath ; stem slender (1 -3° 

 high); peduncles 1-3- but mostlij 1-Jloicered ; perianth 4-6" long; y/7«;/jc7j/s 

 p(ij)illosc-rou(jhened, inserted toward the summit of the perianth. — Wooded 

 hillsides, \. Rrunswirk to Fla., west to Minn., E. Kan., and Tex. 



2. P. gigant^um, Dietrich. (Gijeat S.) Glabrous throuijltout ; stem 

 stout and mostly tall (2-7° higli), terete; leaves ovate, parti ij claspinu (3-8'' 

 long), or the uj^per oblong and nearly sessile, many-nerved ; peduncles sei-eral- 

 (2 - 8-)jloH-ered, jtjinted below the flower ; flowers 5 - 9" long ; Jilanunts smooth 

 and naked, or nearly so, inserted on the middle of the tube. — Meadows and 

 river-banks, N. Eng. to Va., west to the Rocky Mts. June. 



12. ASPARAGUS, Touru. Asi-aragus. 



Perianth 6-parted, spreading above ; the 6 stamens on its base ; anthers 

 introrse. Style sliort ; stigma 3-lobed. Berry spherical, 3-celk'd ; the cells 

 2-seeded. — I'erenuials, with much-branclie<l stems fn^m thick and matted 

 ro(jtstocks, and small greenish-yellow axillary flowers on jointed ])edicels. 

 The narrow, commonly thread-like, so-called leaves are really branchlets, 

 acting as leaves, clustered in tlie axils of little scales which are the true leaves. 

 (The ancient Greek name.) 



A. offkinXlis, L. (Garde V Asparagus.) Herbaceous, tall, bushy- 

 branched; leaves thread-like. — A fre(pieut escape from gardens. June. 

 (Adv. from Ku.) 



13. SMILACINA, Desf. False Solomon's Seal. 



Perianth 6-parted, si)reading, withering-persistent (white). Stamens 6, in- 

 serted at the base of the divisions; filaments slender, anthers short, introrse. 

 Ovary 3-celled, with 2 ovules in each cell ; style short and thick, stigma ob- 

 scurely 3-lobed. Berry globular, 1 -2-seeded. — Perennial herbs, with simple 

 stems from creeping or thickish rootstocks, alternate nerved mostly sessile 

 leaves, and white, sometimes fragrant flowers in a terminal and simple or 

 compound raceme. (Name a diminutive of Smilax, to which, however, these 

 plants bear little resemblance.) 



* Flowers on very short pedicels in a terminal racemose panicle ; stamens exceed- 

 ing the small (1" Ion;/) segments ; ovules collateral ; rootstock stout, jie shy. 

 1. S. raeembsa, Desf. (False Si'Ikenard.) Minutely downy (1 -3° 

 high) ; leaves numerous, oblong or oval-lanceolate, ta}»er-])ointed. ciliate, al>- 

 ru])tly somewhat petioled ; berries pale red, speckled with ]»urple, aromatic. — 

 Moist co])ses, N. Brunswick to S. C, west to Minn., E. Kan. and Ark. 



