UNIVERSITY 



TRILLIUM PICTUM-PAINTED TRILLIUM. 



CLASS, HEXANDRIA J ORDER, TRYGYNIA. 

 NATURAL ORDER, MELANTHACE^E 



GEN. CHAR. Calyx, three leaved, inferior, spreading. Corol, 

 thiee petalled. Styles none. Stigmas three. Three celled, 

 superior, many seeded berry. SPEC. CHAR. Peduncle somewhat 

 erect. Petals, oval, spear-shaped, recurved, twice as long as the 

 calyx. Leaves ovate, taper pointed, roundish at the base, abruptly 

 contracted into a short petiole. 



The whole Trillium tribe, to which this plant belongs, may be 

 recognised at once by three marks; in the first place they have no 

 bulbs, but in their stead a solid knob or subterranean stem; sec- 

 ondly, their anthers are turned away from the stigma, splitting, and 

 emitting their pollen on the side next the petals; and lastly, the 

 three carpels out of which the three celled ovary is constructed, 

 are separated at their points, so that there are always three styles 

 instead of one, and these signs, slight as they are, Lindley remarks, 

 are the points in which this poisonous tribe differs from the harm- 

 less Asphodels and Lilies. They may appear slight, he observes, 

 and we may wonder why such trifling distinctions should serve to 

 distinguish poisonous from wholesome tribes ; but with consider- 

 ations of the causes of such a fact we have no concern ; all 

 that it imports us to know, is that Providence has distinguished 

 them by such minute marks, and has thus provided man with 

 safe and unerring guides, if he will but earn how to follow them. 



