713 ORDER 149. MELANTHACE^E. 



above its contracted base ; stamens inserted in contact with, the ovary ; 

 capsule membranous, 3-celled, many-seeded, septicidal ; seeds scarcely 

 winged. H St. simple, paniculate above, smooth and glaucous, as welJ 

 as the linear Ivs. FJs. greenish. 



1 Z. glaberrimus MX. Rhizome creeping ; Ivs. linear, channeled, recurved ; pan- 

 icle pyramidal ; bracts ovate, acuminate ; segm. of the perianth acuminate, glands 

 2 on the claw of each. S. States. St. 2 to 3f high. Lower Ivs. about 10' long, 

 upper ones gradually diminishing, all concave and tapering to a point. Panicle 

 terminal, loose, consisting of many greenish- white fls. Sep. ovate-lanceolate, free 

 from the stamens, the 2 glands orbicular, distinct and conspicuous. Jn. 



2 Z. glaftcus Nutt. St. bulbous, nearly naked; Ivs. shorter than the stem, linear, 

 rather obtuse ; panicle simple ; bracts lanceolate, shorter than the pedicels; seg- 

 ments oval or obovate, obtuse, each with an obcordale gland. Sandy shores, Can. to 

 N. Y. and Wis. Stem 10 15' high. Leaves glaucous, upper gradually reduced 

 to bracts. Raceme subsimple, sometimes a little compound at base. Flowers 

 few (10 20), greenish-white, on pedicels 1' long, the segments with the 2 glands 

 united. Capsule oblong-ovoid, carpels divergent at apex, G 8-seeded. Jl., Aug. 



3 Z. leimaiithoides Gray. EL fibrous ; Ivs. linear, flat ; pan. simple, the terminal 

 raceme elongated ; segments obovate, with a glandular spot at base, and longer than 

 the linear styles; sds. winged at the apex, lanceolate, compressed. N. J. to L~. 

 Stem roundish, 2 4f high, the lower leaves about half as long, pale green, acute. 

 Flowers white, on filiform pedicels, finally recurved. Segments of the perianth 

 obtuse, a little shorter than the capillary filaments. July. 



3. VERATRUM, Tourn. FALSE HELLEBORE. (Lat. vcre, atrum, 

 truly black ; alluding to the dark color of the flowers or root.) Flowers 

 by abortion $ $ $ ; segments of the perianth united at base, petaloid, 

 spreading, sessile and without glands ; stamens 6, shorter than the peri- 

 anth, and inserted on its base ; ovaries 3, united at base, often abortive ; 

 styles short ; capsule 3-lobed, 3-partible, co-seeded. Rt. Ivs. alternate. 

 Fls. paniculate. 



Stem stout and very leafy throughout. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate No. 1 



Stem slender, nearly naked. Sepals obtusish. Leaves oval and lanceolate Nos. 2, 3 



Sepals acuminate. Leaves linear No. 4 



1 V. vfricle Ait. Lvs. lance-oval, acuminate; st. stout and very leafy; panicle 

 compound, racemous ; bracts oblong-lanceolate, bracteoles longer than tho downy 

 pedicels. Can. to Ga. A large-leaved, coarse- looking plant, of our meadows and 

 swamps. Hoot large, fleshy, with numerous long fibers. Stem 2 4f high, stri- 

 ate and pubescent. Leaves strongly veined and plaited, the lower near a foot 

 long and half as wide, sheathing at tho base. Flowers numerous, green, in many 

 axillary (or bracted) racemes, which together form a very large, pyramidal, ter- 

 minal panicle. July. Hoot emetic and stimulant, but poisonous. (V. album MX.) 



2 V. Woodii Robbins. INDIANA VERATKUJL Lvs. mostly radical, lanceolate 

 and linear-lanceolate, glabrous, veined and plicate, acute tapering to a long, 

 winged, sheathing petiole ; st. or scape terete, tall, erect, with remote, lanco- 

 linear bracts ; panicle simple, slender, pyramidal, many-flowered ; fls. $ % , sub- 

 sessile; segments oblanceolate, sessile (the stamens nearly free and of equal length) 

 dark brownish-purple within. Woods, Green Co., la., 111. (Mead) and Iowa (Cous- 

 ens). Root fasciculate. Leaves 10 16' long (including tho 4 8' petiole), 2 4' 

 wide. Bracts 1 3' long. Scape 3 6f high, paniculate its length. Flowers 

 9'' diam., almost black, with red stamens, upper and lower sterile. Ovary oblong, 

 crowned with 3 spreading styles half its length. Seeds compressed, winged with 

 the broad, loose, membranous testa. July. Very different from the next. 



3 V. parviflorum MX. Lvs. mostly radical, oval and lance-oval, glabrous, 

 scarcely plicate, contracted at base into winged petioles ; stem scape-like, terete, 

 bracted* panicle elongated, very loose, with filiform branches; fls. dingy green, on 

 filiform pedicels, segm. lance-spatulate, unguiculate, the claws bearing the stamens, 

 which are scarcely half as long. Blue Ridge, Ya. (Miss Carpenter) to the Mts. of 



