LILIACEJE. (LILY FAMILY.) 465 



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

 the middle, extrprse. Style none : stigmas 3, recurved-diverging, 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 wool) 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. UI. Virginica, L. (Gyr6mia, Nutt.} Rich damp woods. June. 



ORDER 126. LILIACE^E. (LILY FAMILY.) 



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

 {rarely 4-) androus flowers with the petal-like consimilar 6-merous perianth 

 free from the 2-3-celled ovary, introrsc 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. ASPAHAGF^. 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. ASPAKAGUS. Perianth 6-parted. Leaves thread-like or bristle-form. Pedicels jointed. 



* * Stem simple, leafy. 



2. POLYGONATUM. Perianth tubular, 6-cleft ; stam< ns above the middle. Flowers axil- 



lary. 



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

 in a raceme. 



* * * Scape naked. 



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



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



TRIBE II. ARPIIOELEJ5. Fruit a few -many-seeded pod, 3-celled. Seed-coat era* 

 taceous, black. 



* Not bulbous. Perianth united in a tube below. 

 t HEMEROCALLIS. Perianth funnel-form. Stamens declined. Pod many-seeded. 



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

 i. ORNITHOGALUM. Flowers corymbed, never blue or reddish. Style 3-sidei. 



8. SC1LLA. Flowers racemed, purple or blue Style thread-like. 



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



TaiBE III. TUL.lPACE.flE. Fruit a many-seeded 3-celled pod. Seed-coat paJe. Pen- 

 anth 6-leaved. 



* Bulbous herbs. Perianth deciduous. 



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

 11 ERYTHRONIUM. Scape naked, 1-flowered Pod obovate-triangular : seeds ovoid. 



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

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



