ILLUSTRATIONS. 355 



in the southern and central parts of England. It is a spread- 

 ing, much-branched plant, variable in size, with entire ovate- 

 elliptic leaves, and clusters of minute flowers in short axillary 

 spikes. As usual in the family, the perianth consists of five 

 thin green sepals, within which are five stamens, and an ovary 

 crowned by two styles. This ovary grows into a lenticular 

 fruit, enclosed within, but not covered by, the perianth. 

 Though an inconspicuous and weedy race, so far as our native 

 species are concerned, the Chenopodiaceous plants are not 

 without their beauty and utility ; for amongst them are com- 

 prised the Spinach and Beet of our culinary gardens, and the 

 Mangel- Wurzel of our fields; while others yield abundance 

 of soda, and some are famous anthelmintics. 



Of autumnal Monocotyledons, we find the Meadow Saffron,* 

 which illustrates the family of Melanthaceous plants. It has 

 considerable first-sight resemblance to the autumn-flowering 

 Crocuses (Crocus sativus and C.nudiflorus), but is at once dis- 

 tinguished by the flowers having six stamens instead of three, 

 and by other peculiarities. The plant is one of those with that 

 dnd of solid bulb-stem called a corm, which is large and ovate. 

 M the flowering period there are no leaves, the corm ending in 

 a sheath of brown scales which enclose the base of the flowers. 

 These flowers have a funnel-shaped six-parted perianth, like 

 that of Crocus, with a long slender tube running down in a 

 stalk-like form, and enclosing in its base the ovary, which is 

 underground ; the colour is a bright light purple. There are 

 six stamens inserted in the throat of the tube of the perianth, 

 and three long filiform styles running up from the ovary the 

 full length of the long tube, and terminating in somewhat cla- 

 vate stigmas. The capsule is three-celled, containing nume- 

 rous seeds. The leaves are produced in spring along with the 



* Colchicum autumnaleP\&te 24 A. 



2 A 2 



