LILY FAMILY. 851 



Leaves 2-3 inches long, and often as wide as long ; petioles one-third to three-fourths of an 

 inch long, striate, margined at base, giving out a simple, filiform, hut strong tendril on 

 each side, at the summit of the margin. Flowers greenish-yellow, in small globose 

 axillary umbels. Berries dark blue, or bluish-black with a glaucous bloom, when 

 mature. 



Moist thickets and woodlands, climbing bushes and trees : Canada to Carolina. Fl. 

 June. Fr. October. 



Obs. This rugged shrubby vine is often abundant in moist low 

 grounds, forming almost impenetrable thickets ; and is a great annoy- 

 ance to the woodman, when employed in clearing out such places. A 

 form with the branches 4-angled ; a smaller plant and seldom climbing 

 is yet more difficult to subdue. It is quite frequent in sterile old fields, 

 on our slaty hills, and always indicates a low state of agriculture. 

 There are several other prickly species in the United States especially 

 in the South ; and some of them may be as annoying to the planter or 

 farmer as these, bul I cannot speak of them from my own knowledge. 

 We have an unarmed herbaceous species (S. herba'cea, L.) frequent 

 along fence-rows and borders of thickets which is chiefly remarkable 

 for the carrion-like fetor of its flowers. 



ORDER LXXVII. LILIA'CEJE. (LILY FAMILY.) 



Herbs with parallel-nerved, sessile or sheathing leaves and regular perfect flowers. Divi- 

 sions of the perianth petal-like, similar, 6. Stamens 6; antJiers introrse. Styles united; 

 stiijm'is 3, somatimes united. Fruit a 3-valved loculicidal capsule, or sometimes a Iterry ; 

 seeds few or many ; embryo in fleshy albumen. 



A very large order, the different genera of which present a great variety of appearance. 

 Besides the few we have mentioned below many are well known in cultivation, and aro 

 among the most brilliant ornaments of the garden, as the Hyacinth, Lily, Crown Imperial, 

 Tulip, &c. The medicines Squill and Aloes are produced by plants of this order, as is the 

 New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax, Forst.), so valuable for the strength of its fibres. 

 Fruit a berry. Herbs from root-stocks, no bulbs. Stem branch- 

 ing. Leaves fine and thread-shaped. 1. ASPARAGUS. 

 Fruit a 3-celled pod, splitting into 3 valves when ripe. Seeds 

 black. 



* Roots fascicled, not bulbous. 

 Perianth united into'a tube below ; funnel-form. 2. HEMEROCALLIS. 



** Scape simple from a coated bulb. 



Flowers cor\;mbed, white ; style 3-sided. 3. ORIXTHOGALUM. 



Flowers racemed, blue or purple ; style thread-like. 4. SCILLA. 



Flowers in an umbel, from a scaly bract or involucre. 5. ALLIUM. 



Fruit a 3-celled many-seeded pod. Seeds pale. Perianth of 6 



petal -like distinct divisions. 

 Anthers fixed by their middle, swinging free ; stems from a scaly 



bulb, leafy to the top. 6. LIUUM. 



1. ASPAR'AGUS, L. ASPARAGUS. 



[The ancient Greek name.] 



Perianth of 6 nearly equal linear-oblong divisions, slightly connected at 

 base, spreading at apex. Stamens 6, the lower half of the filaments 

 adnate to the base of the sepals ; anthers peltate. Style short ; stigmas 

 3. Berry globose, 3-celled ; cells 2-seeded. Perennials with much- 

 branched stems from thick and matted root-stocks, very narrow leaves in 

 clusters, and small, greenish-yellow flowers. 



