LILIACEAE (LILY FAMILY^ 28b 



17. ERYTHRONIUM L. Dog's-tooth Violbt 



Perianth lily-like, of 6 lanceolate recurved or spreading divisions, deciduous, 

 the 3 inner usually with a callous tooth on each side of the b<ise, and a ^rouve iii 

 Uie middle. Filaments 6, awl-shaped ; anthers oblong-linear. Style elongated. 

 Capsule obovoid, contracted at base, 3-valved, luculicidal. Seeds rather numer- 

 ous. — Nearly stemless herbs, with two smooth and shining flat leaves tapering 

 into petioles and sheathing the base of the commonly one-flowered scape, rJKing 

 from a deep solid scaly bulb. Flowers rather large, nodding, in spring. ' (The 

 Greek name for the purple-flowered European species, from ipvdpds, red.) 



1. E. americanum Ker. (Yellow Adder's-tongue). Scape L5-2 dm. 

 high ; leaves elliptical-lanceolate, pale green, mottled with purplish and whitish 

 and often minutely dotted ; perianth light yellow, often spotted near the 

 base (2-4 cm. long); style club-shaped ; stigmas united. — Rich ground, N. B. to 

 Fla., w. to Out. and Ark. 



2. E. albidum Nutt. (White Dog's-tooth Violet.) Producing subter- 

 ranean offshoots from the base of the corm ; leaves elli{)tical-lanceolate, less or 

 not at all spotted ; perianth pinkish-white ; inner divisions toothless ; style more 

 slender except at the apex, bearing 3 short spreading stigmas. — Rich ground, 

 Ont. to N. J., w. to Minn, and Tex. 



3. E. mesochbreum Knerr. iVo basal offshoots; leaves narrowly lance- 

 oblong or linear-lanceolate, not mottled ; perianth-divisions bluish or lavender- 

 tinted, scarcely or not at all revolute ; stigmas spreading. — Prairies, w. la. 

 (Burgess) and Mo. to Kan. and Neb. 



4. E. propullans Gray. Offshoot arising from the stem, near the middle; 

 leaves smaller and more acuminate ; flowers bright rose-color, yellowish at base 

 (12 mm. long); style slender ; stigmas united. — In rich soil, Minn, and Ont. 



TtrLTPA sYLVESTRis L. , a wild tulip of Europe, readily recognized by its soli- 

 tary subscapose large yellow flowers, 6-divided perianth and thickish subsessile 

 Stigma, is said to be established in e. Pa. {Fretz). (Adv. from Eu.) 



18. CAMASSIA Lindl. 



Perianth slightly irregular, of 6 blue or purple spreading 3-7-nerved divisions > 

 filaments flliform. Style thread-like, the base persistent. Capsule short and 

 thick, 3-angled, loculicidal, 3-valved, with several black roundish seeds in each 

 cell. — Scape and linear leaves from a coated bulb ; the flowers in a simple 

 raceme, mostly bracted, on jointed pedicels. (From the native Indian name 

 quamash or camass.) 



1. C. escul^nta (Ker) Eobinson. (Eastern Camass, Wild Hyacinth.) 

 Scape 1.5-7 dm. high ; leaves keeied ; raceme elongated ; bracts longer than 

 the pedicels; divisions of the perianth pale blue, 3-nerved, 10-14 mm. long; 

 capsule acutely triangular-globose. {Scilla Kev; C. Fraseri Tott.; Qiiamasia 

 esculenta Covillej Q. hyacinthina Britton.) — Rich ground, w. Pa. to Minn., 

 Tex., and Ga. — This species should be carefully distinguished from the larger 

 flowered plant of the Northwest, which has long passed as C. esculenta Lindl., 

 — a name which must be replaced by Camassia quamash Greene. 



19. 0RNITH6GALUM [Toum.] L. Star of Bethlehem 



Perianth of 6 (white) spreading 3-7-nerved divisions. Filaments 6, flattened- 

 awl-shaped. Style 3-sided ; stigma 3-angled. Capsule roundish-angular, with 

 few dark and roundish seeds in each cell, locnlicidal. — Scape and linear chan- 

 neled leaves from a coated bulb. Flowers corymbed, bracted ; pedicels not 

 jointed. (A whimsical name from 6pvts, a bird, and yd\a, milk.) 



1. 0. umbellXtum L. Scape 1-2.5 dm. high ; flowers 5-8, on long and 

 spreading pedicels ; perianth-divisions green in the middle on the outside. — Es- 

 caped from gardens. (Introd. from Eu.) 



gray's manual. — 19 



