234 HEXAXDRIA. TRIGYNlA. 



of the pedicells; petals greenish white; subulately acumi- 

 nated. Stamina very short in the male, in the herma- 

 phrodite as long as the germ; styles distinct, 3i reflected. 

 4. luteum. Helonias liitea. Bot. Mag. 1062. but much more 

 a Vevatrtim than an Helonias, as might be supposed by its 

 being ilioicous; and if the paucity of seeds is to be consi- 

 dered of importance in Helonias, this species with t cap- 

 sule of many seeds may very well be restored to the ge- 

 nus with which Linnaeus more properly associated it. The 

 - root is so far from being bulbous, that almost every one 

 in the United States knows it by the improper name of 

 •* Devil's-bit," originally applied to a species of Scabiosa; 

 the root is truly prsemorse and very bitter, as is usual 

 with this genus. 



Of this genus there are two other species, indigenous to 

 Europe and Siberia. 



S46. HELONIAS. L. 



CoroUa 6-parted, spreading; sec^meiits sessile 

 and without glands. Styles 3, distinct. Capsule 

 3-celled, S-liorned, cells few-seeded, (seeds 1 

 or 2.) 



Nearly allied to the preceding genus, but having the 

 flowers all hermaphrodite; roots mostly fasciculated, some- 

 times solitary; leaves narrow, often gramineous and arid, 

 surrounding the bsse of the stem; raceme simple. 



Species. 1. W. lati folia, no where so common as the 

 following. 2. erythrosperma. Bractes short and obtuse; 

 capsule short and turgid, lobes divaricate; leaves cari- 

 cine. 3. aTigustifolia. Leaves caricine, very long; scape ob- 

 tusely angular, naked; bractes lanceolate, acute; germ 

 acutely conic; styles contiguous. 4. diibiu. o.pumilo. These 

 two last species doubtful, as Helonias. 



A North American genus. 



347. XEROPHYLLUM. Mich. 



Corolla subrotate. Filaments of the stamina 

 contiguous at the base. Stigmas 3, levolute, 

 partly united below. Capsule subglobose, open- 

 ing at the summit by 3 chinks, 3-celled, cells 2- 

 seeded. 



Root partly bulbous, leaves arid and tenaceous, very 

 narrow and numerougj surrounding the base cf the scapej 

 hiwme simple. 



