ORDER 148. MELANTHACE^E. 349 



on its base. Ovary 3, united at base, often abortive. Capsule 3-partible 

 Seeds few, flat, broadly winged. H Flowers in panicles. July. 



$ STENANTHIUM. Sepals at base united and adherent to base of ovary No. 1 



VKBATRUM proper. Sepals distinct to base and free from the ovary Nos. 24 



1 V. angustlfollum Ph. LVB. long-linear; stem slender, 2 4f; panicle IJf, narrow ; 



segm. green-white, subulate, 2" ; flowers sessile, the upper fertile. Pa., W. and S. 



2 V. virlde Ait. Stem stout and very leafy, 2 4f ; leaves lance-oval, ample, strongly 



plaited ; flowers innumerable, green ; sepals lanceolate, 6". Wet meadows. 



3 V. parviflorum MX. Leaves nearly all radical, oval-elliptic, petiolate, slightly 



plaited ; stem slender, scape-like, long-paniculate ; sepals spatulate-unguiculate, 23'', 

 half as long as the pedicels, dingy green. S. 2 5f. 



4 V. \Vo6dii Robbing. Leaves lance-elliptic to lance-linear, the lower long-petioled, 



plicate; stem rather stout, 4 6f; panicle long and narrow; sepals oblanceolate to 

 obovate, 4", alt/iost black, as long as the pedicels. Ind., and W. 



7. XEROPHYLLUM, MX. Fls. 5 . Sep. oval, spreading, sessile, and 

 without glands. Fila. dilated and contiguous at base. Styles linear, revo- 

 lute. Caps. 3-lobed, cells 2-seeded. U Lvs. numerous, dry, setaceous, the 

 lower longer, rosulately reclined. Rac. simple, with white, showy flowers. 

 X. asphodeloides N. Sandy plains, N. J. to N. C. 3 6f. Per. 5" wide. Ped. 1". Jn. 



8. HELONIAS, L. Fls. $ . Sep. sessile, spreading, glandless, shorter 

 than the filiform stamens. Anth. blue. Caps. 3-horned, 3-styled. Seeds GO, 

 linear. Zf Scape thickish, hollow, with many radical, narrow-oblanceolate 

 leaves, and a short, dense raceme of purple flowers. 



H. bulluta L. N. J. to Va. Rare. 10 18'. Lvs. nearly as long as the scape. May. 



9. CHAM2ELIRIUM, Walt. Fls. $ $ . Sepals linear-spatulate, per- 

 sistent, white, shorter than the filiform stamens. Anthers yellow. Styles 

 club-form. Caps, ovoid, entire. Seeds oo, winged at each end. y Root 

 premorse. Stem strict. Racemes slender, dense, nodding at top. 



C. liiteum (L.) Blazing Star. Damp grounds. Apr. Jn. 12 30'. Root Ivs. lance- 

 obovate, stem Ivs. lanceolate, more on the taller plant. Racemes 3 12'. Spring. 



10. TOFIELDIA, Hudson. Fls. 5 , 3-bracteolate at base. Sep. spread- 

 ing, sessile, oblong. Caps. 3-lobed, 3-partible. Seeds oo, oblong. U Lvs. 

 equitant, grass-like, from fibrous roots. Scapes clustered, bearing spikes 

 or narrow, close, greenish racemes. June August. 



* Glabrous. Pedicels separate, very short. Rac. simple, short, spicate Nos. 1, 2 



* Glandular. Pedicel* in 3's (1's 4's), short. Bracteoles united Nos. 3, 4 



1 T. gltitinosa N. Lvs. glabrous, linear-ensiform, J as long as the roagh-gl'itino'if 



stem ; rac. short (1 Iff, ppicate ; sep. oblanc., 2", pod 4". Woods, O. to Wis. 15'. 



2 T. pilbens Dryand. Leaves nearly } the length of the glandular-puberulent stem 



rac. of alternate, remotish fascicles, slender, 6 8' long, 30-40-flowered ; pod scarneH 

 longer than the perianth. Barrens, Del. to Fla. Slender. 2 3f. 



3 T. palustrls Ilnds. Lvs. 3-5-veined, acute: scape filiform; :pike ovoid, length- 



ened in fruit ; bractlets only at the base of tlie pedicels. Shore* of L. Sup., and N. 

 i T. glabra N. Leaves radical, a few on the stem ; rac. 2 5' long, dense, 20-30-now- 

 ered ; bractlets united near the flower, as in Nos. 1 and 2. Barrens, 8. 1 2f. 



11. PLEEA, L. C. Rich. Sep. wide-spread, lanceolate, sessile, longei 



