434 



COXVALLARIACEAE. 



Smooth Solomon's Seal. 



2. Polygonatum commutatum (R. &S.) Dietr. 



(Fig. 1040.) 



Convallaria commutata R. & S. Syst. 7: 1671. 

 1830. 



Polygonatum commutatum Dietr. ; Otto & Dietr. 

 Gartenz. 3: 223. 1835. 



Polygonatum giganteum Dietr.; Otto & Dietr. 

 Gartenz. 3: 222. 1835. 



Glabrous throughout, stem stout or slen- 

 der, i-S high. Leaves lanceolate, oval or 

 ovate, i^Mi' long, 3 / -4 / wide, rather darker 

 green above than beneath, acute, acuminate 

 or blunt at the apex, narrowed, rounded or 

 somewhat clasping at the base, the upper 

 often narrower than the lower; peduncles i- 

 8-flowered, glabrous; perianth 6 // -io // long, 

 i^ // -2 // thick; filaments somewhat flat- 

 tened, smooth, adnate to the perianth for 

 half its length or more; berry 4 // -6 // in 

 diameter. 



In moist woods and along streams, rarely in 

 dry soil, Rhode Island to Ontario and Manitoba, 

 south to Georgia, Louisiana, Utah and New 

 Mexico. Variable in size and in leaf-form. 

 May-July. 



8. CONVALLARIA L. Sp. PL 314. 1753. 



A low glabrous herb, with horizontal rootstocks, very numerous fibrous roots, and 2 or 

 sometimes 3 erect broad leaves, narrowed into sheathing petioles, the lower part of the stem 

 bearing several sheathing scales. Flowers white, racemed, fragrant, nodding. Raceme 

 i-sided. Perianth globose-campanulate, 6 lobed, deciduous, the short lobes recurved. 

 Stamens 6, included; filaments short, adnate to the lower part of the perianth; anthers ob- 

 long, introrse. Ovary 3-celled; ovules several in each cavity; style slender, 3-grooved; 

 stigma small, capitate, slightly 3-lobed. Berry globose, pulpy. [Latin from Conzallis, 

 valley, and the Greek for lily.] 



A monotypic genus of Europe, Asia and the higher Alleghenies. 



Convallaria majalis L. Lily-of-the-valley. (Fig. 1041.) 



Coni-9llaria majalis L. Sp. PI 314. 1753. 



Stem 4 / -o/ high. Leaves oblong, or oval, 

 appearing nearly basal, acute at both ends, 

 5 '-1 2' long, i / -2^ / wide; basal scales large, 

 i '-4' long, one of them subtending an erect 

 angled scape shorter than the leaves; raceme 

 i'-$yi f long, loosely several-flowered; pedi- 

 cels filiform, recurved, 3 // -6 // long, exceed- 

 ing or sometimes shorter than the lanceolate 

 bracts; perianth 3"-4" long, its lobes i" 

 long or less; filaments shorter than the an- 

 thers; berry about 3" in diameter. 



On the higher mountains of Virginia. North 

 Carolina and South Carolina. Common in cul- 

 tivation. May-June. 



