THE MAY LILY 255 



are of the type known botanically as rhizomes, and 

 not bulbs. The foliage is of the large, thin, shade- 

 leaf type, and the fruits are berries. 



The best-known British example of this group, 

 the Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis, Linn.), is 

 rarely, if ever, found within the Alpine zone, though 

 it is sometimes frequent at lower elevations. Above 

 5,000 feet, its place in the forests is taken by the May 

 Lily (Maianthemum convallaria, Weber = Smilacina 

 bi/olia, Schult.) (Plate XL VII., Fig. 2), one of our 

 rarest British plants. 



From the creeping root-stock, this plant sends 

 up each year a flowering shoot, bearing two large, 

 shortly-stalked, heart-shaped leaves, placed at different 

 levels on the shoot. Some other Alpine plants produce 

 only two leaves each year, such as the Lesser Butterfly 

 Orchis (Habenaria bifolia) (Plate XXXI., Fig. 2), and 

 the Twayblades (Listera ovata, E. Br., and L. 

 cordat^ E. Br.), though this is a comparatively rare 

 feature among either British or Swiss plants. The 

 flowering shoot of the May Lily ends in an inflores- 

 cence (raceme) of white flowers, which are probably 

 smaller than those of any other plant belonging to 

 the same group. They are interesting from the fact 

 that there are only four perianth members and four 

 stamens, whereas the usual number found in this 

 order is six. 



The three British species of Solomon's Seal (Poly- 

 gonatwri), though rare or infrequent with us, are to be 

 found in the Alpine woods. Another plant, which, 



