UVULARIA SESSII.IFOI.IA. SESSII.F.-I.EAVF.D BFLI-WORT. I 75 



ous flowers and seeds of allied species. The only possible 

 answer appears to be that Nature makes use of this seeming 

 over-production in otlier directions, and that no one thing must 

 be looked upon as working selfishly for its own good alone, 

 but rather as an active member in the great whole of the animal 

 and vegetable creation. 



Uvnlaria may also serve to show the artificial character of 

 even the best of so-called natural systems in botany. The order 

 LillacccB is distinguished from Mclanthaccce chiefly by the styles. 

 These are so united in Liliacece as to look like a single style, the 

 only indication of the presence of several styles being noticeable 

 in a slight division at the apex, while in Mclanlhacca; they are 

 divided down to the o\ary. In Uvularia the styles are also 

 divided to such an extent that some botanists consider it a 

 melanthaceous genus. In Lindley and Moore's " Treasury of 

 Botany," for instance, we read : " Uvularia is a genus of Mclaii- 

 thacccc, and is the type of the suborder Uvularia:, which is inter- 

 mediate between the true Mclanthaccce and Liliacece!' Our 

 American authors, however, such as Dr. Gray and Prof. Wood, 

 place the Uvularia in the order Liliacccr, subsection Uvularica-, 

 and we have ourselves adopted this classification. 



In former times the Uvularias, as well as many allied genera, 

 were classed together with Polygonatmn, or Solomons Seal, 

 which is another genus of the order of Liliacccr. Linna:us, 

 however, divided this genus, and gave our j^lants a separate 

 place in the system under their present name, borrowing the 

 latter, as we are told, from John Tragus, who wrote a history 

 of plants in 1552. The Uvularia of Tragus appears to have 

 been a sort of Campamila, or Bell-Flower, and it is probable 

 that the common name of our plant, Bell-Wort, is derived 

 from its early association with the Bell-Flower family. The 

 name is certainly a very appropriate one, so far as the flower 

 is concerned, as this latter is more truly bell-shaped than 

 many of the real Cai/ipaaulas. .Another common name quo- 

 ted by some American authors is Wild Oats, but there 



