HEXANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 225 



There are but 2 other species of this genus as it is now 

 constituted, indigenous to Japan, 



330. SMILACINA. Dcfontaines, 



Corolla inferior, 6-partec], spreadin,^. Fila- 

 ments divergent, attached to the base of the la- 

 ciniai. Berry globose, S-celled. 



Flowers terminal, subumbellate, racemose or panicu- 

 late. Stems bifoliate or foliose. (Filaments and anthers 

 distinct.) 



Species. 1. S. umbellata. Flowers white, spotted with 

 brown. 2. borealis. Leaves radical. Roots fibrous, sto- 

 loniferous. FloMers greenish, nodding. Bt-rnes of both 

 these species azure blue, and opaque. The whole plant, 

 as well as the preceding, sweetish and gramineous to the 

 taste. 3. canadensis. Flowers tetrandrous. Stem 2, rarely 

 3-leaved. Berries red; punctate, pellucid. — Almost uni- 

 formly occurring under the shade of the Abies canadensis 

 or Spruce. " A mere variety of S. bifolia? 4. trifoUa. v. v. 

 Near Green-bay, Lake Michigan. 5. stellata. v. v. Abun- 

 dant on the banks of Lake Erie (Ohio,) and on the Mis- 

 souri to the Mandans. 6.ciliata. -f-. T.racemosa. Berries 

 scarlet, pellucid, 



A North American genus, with the exception of 5. bifo- 

 lia, also indigenous to the shady forests of Europe. 



331. POLYGONATUM. Desfontaines (Solo- 

 mon's-Seal.) 



Corolla inferior, 6-cleft, cyliudric. Filaments 

 inserted on the upper part of the tube. Berry 

 3-celled; cells 3-seeded. 



Stems simple, angular, or terete. Flowers axillary, se- 

 cund; peduncles 2 or more flowered, nodding. 



Species. 1. P. angustifoUum. 2. canalicrdatum. 3. 

 pubescens, A doubtful species. 4. hirtiim. Stem angu- 

 lar, hispid, 5. multifionim. Peduncles many-flowered, 

 stem round. (Cells of the germ mostly 4-seeded.) 6. la- 

 tifolium. Stem angular; peduncles 1 or many-flowered. 

 The largest species called " Wild Asparagus," and eaten 

 with safety. 



Of this genus there are 4 species in Europe, and 2 of 

 them common to the United States, viz. Nos. 5 and 6. 



