LILIACEjr,, (LILY FAMILY.) 465 



longer than the linear-oblong anthers, which are attached by their back near tho 

 base. Styles 3, recurved-diverging, long and thread-form (stigmatic along tho 

 upper side), deciduous. Berry spherical (dark purple), 3-celled, few-seeded. 

 A perennial herb, with a simple slender stem (l-3 high, clothed with floccu- 

 lent deciduous wool) rising from a horizontal and tuberous white rootstock 

 (which has the taste of the cucumber), bearing a whorl of 5-9 obovate-lanceo- 

 late and pointed sessile leaves near the middle, and another of 3 smaller ovate 

 ones at the top, subtending a sessile umbel of small recurved flowers. (Named 

 after the sorceress Medea, from the imaginary notion that it possesses great me- 

 dicinal virtues.) 



1. M. Virsjiiiicii, L, (Gyromia, Nutt.) Rich damp woods. June. 



ORDER 126. L.ILJACEJE. (LILY FAMILY.) 



Herbs, with paraUel-nerved sessile or sheathing leaves, regular perfect 6- 

 (rarely 4-) androus flowers with the petal-like consimilar 6-merous perianth 

 free from the 2 - 3-celled ovary, introrse anthers attached by a point, and the 

 style single. Stigmas 3, or combined into one. Fruit a 3-valved loculi- 

 cidal pod, or a berry, many - few-seeded. Seeds anatropous or ampbitro- 

 pous. Embryo slender or minute, in fleshy or hard albumen. 



Synopsis. 



TRIBE I. ASPARAGEJB. Fruit a few-seeded berry, 2 -3-celled. Albumen horny. 

 Not bulbous : rootstocks creeping or tuberous. Pedicels jointed under the flower. 

 * Stems branching, very leafy. Seeds amphitropous. 



1. ASPARAGUS. Perianth 6-parted. Leaves thread-like or bristle-form. Pedicels jointed 



* * Stem simple, leafy. 



2. POLYGONATUM. Perianth tubular, 6-cleft : stamens above the middle. Flowers axillary. 

 8. SMILACINA. Perianth 4 -6-parted, spreading, he stamens borne at the base. Flowers in 



a raceme. 



* * * Scape naked. 



4. CONVALLARIA. Perianth bell -shaped, 6-lobed. Flowers in a simple raceme. 



6. CLINTONIA. Perianth of 6 separate sepals. Stamens hypogynous. Flowers in an umbeL 



TEIBB II. ASPHODEL,E^E. Fruit a few -many -seeded pod, 3-celled. Seed-coat crus- 

 taceous, black. 



* Not bulbous. Perianth united in a tube below. 



6. HEMEROCALLIS. Perianth funnel-form. Stamens declined. Pod many-seeded. 



* * Bulbous : scape simple. Perianth 6-sepalled or 6-parted. 



7. ORNITHOGALUM. Flowers corymbed, never blue or reddish. Style 3-sided. 



8. SCILLA. Flowers racemed, purple or blue. Style thread-like. 



9. ALLIUM. Flowers umbelled, from a spathe. Sepals 1-nerved. 



TRIBE III. TULIP ACE.3E. Fruit a many -seeded 3-celled pod. Seed-coat pale. Pill. 

 anth 6-leaved. 



* Bulbous herbs. Perianth deciduous. 



10. LILIUM. Stem leafy. Pod oblong. Seeds vertically much flattened. 



11. ERYTHRONIUM. Scape naked, 1-flowered. Pod obovate-triangular : seeds ovoW. 



* * Not bulbous : stem (caudex) perennial. Perianth not deciduous. 



12. YUCCA Flowers in a term nal panicle. Leaves crowded, rigid and persistent. 



