LILIACE.E. (LILY FAMILY.) 465 



longer than the linear-oblong anthers, which are attached by their back near 

 the middle, extrorse. Style none : stigmas 3, recurved-divergiug, long and 

 thread-form (stigmatic along the upper side), deciduous. Berry spherical 

 (dark purple), 3-celled, few-seeded. A perennial herb, with a simple slender 

 stem (l-3 high, clothed with flocculent deciduous w r ool) rising from a hori- 

 zontal and tuberous white rootstock (which has the taste of the cucumber), 

 bearing a whorl of 5-9 obovate-lanceolate and pointed sessile leaves near the 

 middle, and another of 3 smaller ovate ones at the top, subtending a sessile 

 umbel of small recurved flowers. (Named after the sorceress Medea, from 

 the imaginary notion that it possesses great medicinal virtues.) 

 1. OT. Virgiaiica, L. (Gyromia, Nutt.) Rich damp woods. June. 



ORDER 126. LILJACEJE. (LILY FAMILY.) 



Herbs, with parallel-nerved sessile or sheathing leaves, regular perfect 6- 

 (i'arely 4-) androus flotvers witlt the petal-like consimilar 6-merous perianth 

 free from the 2 -3-celled ocary, introrse anthers attached by a point, and the 

 style single. Stigmas 3, or combined into one. Fruit a 3-valved loculi- 

 cidal pod, or a berry, many - few-seeded. Seeds anatropous or amphitro- 

 pous. Embryo slender or minute, in fleshy or hard albumen. See Add. 



Synopsis. 



TRIBE I. ASPARACE.fl3. Fruit a few-seeded berry, 2 -3-celled. Albumen horny. 

 Not bulbous : rootstocks creeping or tuberous Pedicels jointed under the flower. 

 * Stems branching, very leafy. Seeds amphitropous. 



1. ASPARAGUS. Perianth G-parted. Leaves thread-like or bristle-form. Pedicels jointed. 



* * Stem simple, leafy. 



2. POLYGONATUM. Perianth tubular, 6-cleft : stamens above the middle. Flowers axillary. 

 8. SMILACINA. Perianth 4 - 6-parted, spreading, the stamens borne at the base. Flowers in 



a raceme. 



* * * Scape naked. 



4. CONVALLARIA Perianth bell -shaped. 6-lobed. Flowers in a simple raceme. 



6. CLINTONIA. Perianth of 6 separate sepals. Stamens hypogynous. Flowers in an umbeL 



TRIBE II. ASPHODEL,EJE. Fruit a few -many -seeded pod, 3-celled. Seed-coat crus- 

 taceous, black. 



* Not bulbous. Perianth united in a tube below. 



6. IIKMEROCALLIS. Perianth funnel-form Stamens declined. Pod many-seeded. 



* * Bulbous : scape simple. Perianth 6-sepalled or 6-parted. 



7. ORNITHOGALUM. Flowers corymbed, never blue or reddish. Style 3-sided. 



8. SCILLA. Flowers racemed, purple or blue Style thread-like. 



9. ALLIUM Flowers umbelled, from a spathe. Sepals 1-nerved. 



TRIBE III. TULIPACEJE. Fruit a many -seeded 3-celled pod. Seed-coat pale. Peri- 

 anth 6-leaved. 



* Bulbous herbs. Perianth deciduous. 



10. LILIUM. Stem leafy. Pod oblong. Seeds vertically much flattened. 

 11 ERYT11RONIUM. Scape naked, l-flo\vered Pod obovate-triangular : seeds oyoid. 



* * Not bulbous : stem (caudex) perennial. Perianth not deciduous. 

 12. YUCCA. Flowers in a terminal panicle. Leaves crowded, rigid and persistent 



