462 THE LILY FAMILY. [Ornithogalum. 



XI. ORNITHOGALUM. ORNITHOGALUM. 



Bulbous herbs, with the leaves all radical and not sheathing the stem. 

 Flowers white or partly green, in a terminal raceme, with a scarious 

 bract under each pedicel. Perianth very spreading, with distinct seg- 

 ments, remaining persistent after fading. Stamens almost free from 

 the perianth, with flattened filaments. Seeds few, black, nearly globular. 



A considerable genus, chiefly European, west Asiatic, and African, 

 only distinguished from Scilla by the more persistent perianth, without 

 any blue or pink in its colour. 



Kaceme flattened into a corymb, the lower pedicels much longer 



than the upper . 1. 0. umbellatum. 



Racemes elongated, the pedicels of nearly equal length. 



Flowers few and large, the segments near an inch long . . 2. 0. nutans. 



Flowers small and numerous, the segments about 4 lines long. 3. 0. pyrenaicum. 



1. O. umbellatuxn, Linn. (fig. 1041). Star-of-Bethlchcm. Bulb 

 ovoid, full of a clammy juice, like that of the Bluebell. Leaves long 

 and narrow, weak and flaccid. Stem from a few inches to near a foot 

 high. Eaceme flattened into a corymb, the lower pedicels being 

 lengthened so as to bring their flowers at least to the level of the inner 

 ones. Perianth-segments very spreading, varying from 6 lines to near 

 an inch in length, white, with a broad, green, central line outside. 



In waste and cultivated places, in central and southern Europe, from 

 France and Holland to the Caucasus. In Britain, not indigenous, but 

 established in many parts of England. Fl. spring and early summer. 



2. O. nutans, Linn. (fig. 1042). Drooping 0. A handsome species, 

 a foot high or more, with a raceme of 5 or 6 large nodding flowers on 

 very short pedicels. Perianth-segments about an inch long, less spread- 

 ing than in the other species, white within, green in the centre outside. 

 Filaments very broad and petal-like. 



In waste and cultivated places, in most parts of central and southern 

 Europe, extending northwards to southern Scandinavia. In Britain, 

 not indigenous, but established in some parts of England. Fl. spring. 



3. O. pyrenaicum, Linn. (fig. 1043). Spiked 0. Bulb ovoid, with 

 few long, linear leaves. Stems 1 to 2 feet high, with a long raceme of 

 small, greenish- white flowers, on slender pedicels varying from 3 to 6 

 lines in length, with a bract about as long under each one. Perianth- 

 segments very spreading, about 4 lines long. Stamens rather shorter. 



In woods and pastures, in western and southern Europe, extending 

 eastward to the Caucasus, and northward into Belgium, but only into 

 southern Germany. Rare in Britain, but has been found in several of 

 the southern counties of England. Fl. early summer. [The young stems 

 are sold at Bath as a vegetable, and called " French Asparagus."! 



XII. SCILLA. SQUILL 



Bulbous herbs, with radical leaves. Flowers usually blue or rarely 

 pink, in a terminal raceme, sometimes flattened into a corymb. Peri- 

 anth-segments deciduous, free or slightly cohering at the base, either 

 spreading or forming a bell-shaped or tubular flower, and then spread- 



