MELANTHACEAE (BUNCH-FLOWER FAMILY) 53 



J. Leaves 1-3. Unifolium in CONVALLARIACEAE (p. 62) 



JJ. Leaves more than 3. 



K. Flowers in a terminal raceme or panicle; stem not branched. 

 L. Style i ; fruit a berry; stem 2-9 dm. high. 



Vagnera in CONVALLARIACEAE (p. 62) 

 LL. Styles 3; fruit a capsule; stem 6-30 dm. high. 



Veratrum in MELANTHACEAE (p. 53) 



KK. Flowers either in a terminal umbel or else axillary; stem usually 

 branched. See EE in CONVALLARIACEAE (p. 62) 



AA. Leaves grasslike, narrow. 



M. Plant with onion-like odor and taste. Allium in LILIACEAE (p. 55) 



MM. Plant without either onion-like odor or taste. 

 N. Stem none, or scapose, or leafy only near the base. 

 O. Plant with rhizome. 



P. Plant stemless; flowers in a sessile umbel; bracts of the inflorescence leaf- 

 like, about twice as long as the flower and its stalk. 



Leucocrinum in LILIACEAE (p. 55) 



PP. Plant with stem 15-90 cm. high; flowers in a terminal raceme or panicle ; 

 bracts of the inflorescence not leaflike, shorter than the flower and its stalk. 



See C in MELANTHACEAE (p. 53) 

 OO. Plant with bulb or corm. 



Q. Flowers in an umbel. See BB in LILIACEAE (p. 55) 



OQ. Flowers in an elongated raceme or panicle. 



R. Styles 3; capsule septicidal. See CC in MELANTHACEAE (p. 53) 



RR. Style i; capsule loculicidal. See E in LILIACEAE (p. 55) 



NN. Stem not scapose, leafy and not only so at the base. 



S. Leaves very many, 50 or more, very tough and rigid, serrulate; plant with 



rhizome. Xerophyllum in MELANTHACEAE (p. 53) 



SS. Leaves few, 20 or fewer, not particularly tough nor rigid, entire; plant with 



bulb or corm. See H in LILIACEAE (p. 55) 



MELANTHACEAE (BUNCH-FLOWER FAMILY) 



Herbs, erect, perennial, with rootstocks or rarely with coated 

 bulbs; stem leafy. Leaves wide or grasslike, parallel-veined but 

 often reticulate between the large veins. Flowers solitary or in a 

 raceme or a panicle, regular. Perianth segments 6, distinct or 

 nearly so, usually persistent. Stamens 6. Ovary 3-celled, superior 

 or partly inferior; styles 3, distinct or somewhat united. Fruit a 

 capsule, mostly septicidal, rarely loculicidal. Seeds several to 

 many, often tailed. 



A. Leaves narrow, linear; plants glabrous (except Tofieldia in part). 

 B. Leaves few, 25 or fewer, not rigid, not rough-margined; inflorescence bracted. 

 C. Stems with rhizomes; anthers 2 -celled; leaves equitant. 

 D. Perianth segments oblanceolate; pedicels bracted near the flower; fila- 

 ments naked; anthers round- cordate; capsule ovate, 3-beaked, septicidal. 



TOFIELDIA (p. 54) 



