466 LILIACEJS. (LILY FAMILY.; 



1. ASPARAGUS, L. ASPARAGUS. 



Perianth 6-parted, spreading above : the 6 stamens at their base. Style short: 

 Bti^Jiu' 3-lobed Berry spherical. 3-celled; the cells 2-secded. Perennials, 

 with much-branched steins from thick and matted rootstocks, very narrow leaves 

 in clusters, and small greenish-yellow axillary flowers. (The ancient Greek 

 name.) 



1. A. OFFICINALIS, L. (GARDEN ASPARAGUS.) Herbaceous ; bushy- 

 branched ; leaves thread-like. Sparingly escaped from gardens into waste 

 places on the coast. June. (Adv. from Eu.) 



2. POL.YGONATUM, Tourn. SOLOMON'S SEAL. 



Perianth tubular, 6-lobed at the summit; the 6 stamens inserted on or above 

 the middle of the tube, included. Ovary 3-celled, with 2-6 ovules in each cell : 

 style slender, deciduous by a joint: stigma obtuse or capitate, obscurely 3-lobed. 

 Berry globular, black or blue; the cells 1-2-seeded. Perennial herbs, with 

 simple erect or curving stems, rising from creeping thick and knotted rootstocks, 

 above bearing nearly sessile or half-clasping nerved leaves, and axillary nod- 

 ding greenish flowers. (The ancient name, composed of TTO\V$, many, and 

 yow, knee, alluding to the numerous joints of the rootstocks and stems.) 

 Ours are all alternate-leaved species, and with the stem terete or scarcely angled 

 when fresh. 



1. P. bifldrum, Ell. (SMALLER SOLOMON'S SEAL.) Glabrous, except 

 the ovate-oblong or lance-oblong nearly sessile leaves, which are commonly mi- 

 nutely pubescent, at least on the veins (but sometimes smooth), as well as pule or 

 glaucous underneath,- stem slender (l-3high); peduncles 1-3- but mostly 2- 

 flowered ; filaments papillose-rouyhcned, inserted towards the summit of the cylin- 

 drical-oblong perianth. (Convallaria biflora, Walt. C. pubescens, Wittd. Po- 

 lygonatum pubescens, angustifolium, & multiflorum, Pursh.) Wooded banks; 

 common. Perianth ' long, greenish. 



2. P. gigdnteum, Dietrich. (GREAT SOLOMON'S SEAL.) Glabrous 

 throughout ; stem stout and tall (3 -8 high), terete; leaves ovate, partly clasp- 

 ing (5' -8' long), or the upper oblong and nearly sessile, many-nerved, green 

 both sides ; peduncles several- (2-8-) flowered ; filaments smooth and naked, or nearly 

 so, inserted on the middle of the tube of the cylindrical-oblong perianth. (Con- 

 vallaria canaliculata, Willd. Polygonatum canaliculatum, Pursh. P. commu- 

 tatum, Dietrich.) River-banks and woods, in alluvial soil; not rare. June. 

 (The stem not being at all channelled in the living plant, it is better to dis- 

 card the earlier name of canaliculatum.) Pedicels i'-li' long: perianth ' 

 long. 



3. P. latifolium. Desf. Upper part of the stem (2-3 high), the 1-5- 

 flowered peduncles, pedicels, and lower surface of the ovate or oblong mostly 

 jx-tiolnl I, an x more or A.s.s pnb<sr<-nt ; jHtiinnits glabrous. (P. hirtum, Pursh. Con- 

 vallaria hirta, Pair.) Pennsylvania, Muhlrnbcrg ! This appears to be 

 tially the Kuropi-an P. latifolium. 



P. MULiiiLouiJM, with hirsute filaments, I have never seen in this country. 



