220 HEXANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 



situations a few miles froir. St. Louis, Louisiana, and more 

 recently very plenliiul on the lowest banks of the Ohio. 

 The late g-overnor Lewis brought specimens of this plant 

 from tlie valiles of the Kock)- Mountains, and informs us 

 that the roots form a favourite article of diet amongst the 

 aborig-ines of the mountains. The distribution of this 

 plant from east to west is over an extent of more than 

 2000 miles, but from north to south not more than 300, 

 if so much. — This species appears to be somewhat allied 

 to P. glaucwn of Peru, 



2. croceum. Obs. Leaves arid, gramineous; raceme 

 few-flowered (10 to 12 or more), lower flowers half an 

 inch apart; bractes very obtuse and membranaceous, 

 about a line long, ohvallate; pcdicells erect, filiform, 

 nearly an inch; flower about tiie size and colour of JVor- 

 tJieciiim americmium, or saffron yellow, the centre of the 

 petals, particularly on the exterior, being deeper coloured 

 ^ or brov.nish; petals, {or rather segments persistent,) 

 ovaie-oblong, rather narrow, spreading; filaments of the 

 stamina subulate, smooth, somewhat shorter than the pe- 

 tals; anthers pale, oblong; style subulate, distinctly trifid 

 at the summit; stigmata subulate, connivent. As the 

 inflorescence diflfers so materially from Michaux's plant, 

 which he describes as producing "a pyramidal spike,'* 

 it may j;jstly he doubted whether these remarks apply to 

 it, or to a distinct species; at all events I am fully satis- 

 fied that it is a Phalanginm. 



This extensive genus is principally confined to the Cape 

 of Good Hope; there are, however, a few species in the 

 south of Europe, and 4 in Peru. 



322. NARTHECIUM. L. 



Corolla inferior, petals 6, spreading, persis- 

 tent. Filaments filiform, hirsute. Capsule pris- 

 matic, 3-celled, many-seeded. Seeds filiformly 

 subulatcd at each extremity. Calix none. 



Root fibrous; leaves small, ensiform; scape nearly naked, 

 flowers spiked, yellow. 



Species, l.'N. americanntn. Capsule subulate, twice 

 the length of t))e persistent corolla; seeds slender, sub- 

 terete, as long as the capsule, caudately subulatcd at 

 N each extremity. 



Of this genus there is but another species, indigenous 

 to the turf morasses of the north of Europe. 



