522 



CONVALLARIACEAE. 



VOL. I. 



9. CONVALLARIA L. Sp. PI. 314. 1753. 



A low glabrous herb, with horizontal rootstocks, very numerous fibrous roots, and 2 or 

 sometimes 3 erect broad leaves, narrowed into sheathing petioles, the lower part of the stem 

 bearing several sheathing scales. Flowers white, racemed, fragrant, nodding. Raceme 

 l-sided. Perianth globose-campanulate, 6-lobed, deciduous, the short lobes recurved. 

 Stamens 6, included; filaments short, adnate to the lower part of the perianth; anthers ob- 

 long, introrse. Ovary 3-celled; ovules several in each cavity; style slender, 3-grooved; 

 stigma small, capitate, slightly 3-lobed. Berry globose, pulpy. [Latin from Convallis, 

 valley, and the Greek for lily.] 



A monotypic genus of Europe, Asia and the higher Alleghanies. 



i. Convallaria majalis L. Lily-of-the- 

 valley. Fig. 1297. 



Convallaria majalis L. Sp. PI. 314. 1753. 



Convallaria majuscula Greene, Rep. Nov. Spec. 

 5: 46. 1907. 



Stem 4'-o/ high. Leaves oblong, or oval, 

 appearing nearly basal, acute at both ends, 

 5'-i2' long, i'-2i' wide; basal scales large, 

 I '-4' long, one of them subtending an erect 

 angled scape shorter than the leaves ; raceme 

 i'-3i' long, loosely several-flowered ; pedicels 

 filiform, recurved, 3"-6" long, exceeding or 

 sometimes shorter than the lanceolate bracts; 

 perianth 3 "-4" long, its lobes i" long or -less; 

 filaments shorter than the anthers; berry about 

 3" in diameter. 



On the higher mountains of Virginia, North 

 Carolina and South Carolina. Common in cul- 

 tivation. Consists of several slightly differing 

 races. May blossoms. Wood-lily. Conval-lily. 

 May-lily. May-June. 



Family 24. TRILLIACEAE Lindl. Nat. Syst. ed. 2, 347. 1836. 

 WAKE-ROBIN FAMILY. 



Somewhat fleshy herbs, perennial by rootstocks. Leaves cauline, whorled, or 

 sometimes solitary long-petioled ones are borne on the rootstock. Flowers termi- 

 nal, solitary or umbelled, sessile or pedicelled, perfect. Perianth of 3 separate 

 sepals and 3 separate petals. Stamens 6 ; anthers 2-celled. Ovary sessile, 3-celled ; 

 styles 3, stigmatic along the inner side ; ovules several or numerous in each cavity. 

 Fruit a globose or 3-lobed berry. 



Three genera and about 25 species, natives of the north temperate zone. 



Leaves in 2 (rarely 3) whorls ; flowers umbelled. i. Medeola. 



Leaves in i whorl ; flowers solitary. 2. Trillium. 



i. MEDEOLA L. Sp. PI. 339. 1753. 



A slender erect unbranched herb, loosely provided with deciduous wool. Rootstock thick, 

 white, tuber-like, with somewhat the odor and taste of cucumbers, the slender fibrous roots 

 numerous. Leaves of flowering plants in 2 whorls (rarely 3 whorls) ; lower whorl of 4-10 

 oblong-lanceolate or obovate leaves ; upper whorl of 3-5 ovate or oval leaves, subtending, like 

 an involucre, the sessile umbel of small greenish yellow declined flowers. Perianth of 6 

 separate equal oblong recurved segments. Stamens 6, hypogynous ; filaments slender, smooth, 

 longer than the oblong extrorse anthers, the sacs laterally dehiscent. Ovary 3-celled ; ovules 

 several in each cavity; styles 3, recurved, stigmatic along the inner side. Berry globose, 

 pulpy. [Name from Medea, a sorceress, referring to the supposed healing properties.] 



A monotypic genus of eastern North America. 



