- 



\ ,. , 



552 CLIII. LILIACE^E. CONVALLARIA. 



Other ornamental species sometimes cultivated are H. BOTRYOIDES, grape 

 hyacinth, with globose flowers ; H. COMOSUS, purple grape hyacinth, with pris- 

 matic flowers ; and H. RACEMOSUS, hare-bell hyacinth, with ovoid flowers. 



TRIBE 4. AKTHERICEJB. Stem subterraneous, or if developed, erect. Root 



fasciculate or fibrous. Leaves never coriaceous nor permanent. 



10. ASPHODfiLUS. 



Gr. a, privative, o-^aXXo), to surpass ; a flower not surpassed in beauty. 



Perianth 6-parted, spreading, with 6 valves, covering the ovary ; 

 sta. issuing from the valves. Fine garden plants, native of S. Europe. 



1. A. LUTEUS. King's Spear. Yellow Asphodel. St. leafy ; Ivs. 3-cornered. 

 7|. Native of Sicily. A plant of easy culture and rapid increase. Stem 3f 

 high, thickly invested with 3-cornered, hollow leaves. Flowers yellow, in a 

 long spike, reaching from the top almost to the base of stem. June. 



2. A. RAMOSUS. Branching Asphodel. St. naked, branched ; ped. alternate, 

 longer than bract ; Ivs. ensiform, carinate, smooth. 7|_ Native of S. Europe. 

 Not so tall as the preceding, but with larger, white flowers. June. 



11. PHALANGIUM. Tourn. 



Gr. (ftaXavl;, tarantula, a venomous species of spider, whose bite it was supposed to cure. 



Perianth 6-parted, petals and sepals similar, spreading ; filaments 

 6, smooth ; caps, free from the perianth, ovoid ; seeds angular. ^ 

 Lvs. flat, linear. Fls. small, white or bluish. 



P. ESCULENTUM. Nutt. Esculent Phalangium. Quamash. 

 St. bulbous ; Ivs. all radical, linear, carinate at base ; sta. subexserted ; 

 stig. minutely 3-cleft. Wei prairies, along rivers, lakes, Wis. Lapham ! 111. 

 Jenney! Ind. Skinner! &c. An interesting little plant, usually in thick grass. 

 Bulb 1 !' diam., resembling a small onion. Scape 1 2f high. Leaves 

 nearly as long as the scape, grass-like, 3" wide, smooth. Raceme short, pedi- 

 cels longer than the flowers, each with a subulate bract. Petals and sepals 

 pale blue, about 3" long. Anthers oblong, small, yellow. Seeds black. May. 



TRIBE 5. COX VALiLARINEJE. Stem arising from a horizontal rhizoma 



or tuber. 

 12. CONVALLARIA. 



Lat. convallis, a valley ; the locality of some species. 



Perianth 4 6-parted, segments spreading ; stamens 4 6, diver- 

 gent, arising from the base of the segments ; berry globose, 2 3- 

 celled. Plants somewhat various in habit, with simple stems and 

 alternate leaves. Fls. in terminal racemes or umbels, reddish or green- 

 ish-white. 

 1. MAJANTHEMUM. Perianth ^-parted. Stamens 4. Berry ^-celled. 



1. C. BIFOLIA. (Smilacina. Desf. Styrandra. Raf.} Two-leaved Solo- 

 mon's Seal.Lvs. 2 3, cordate, ovate ; fls. in a terminal raceme ; Ifts. of the 

 perianth spreading. 7J. A small plant, frequent along the edges of woodlands, 

 Can., N. Eng., W. to Wis. ! Stem angular, about 6' high. Leaves 2, rarely 

 3, about 2' long, \ as wide, ovate, distinctly cordate, sessile, or the lowest on a 

 petiole. Raceme terminal, erect, an inch long, consisting of 12 20 white 

 flowers. Berry small, round, and when mature pale red, speckled with deep 

 red. May. 



2. SMILACINA. Perianth ^-parted. Stamens 6. Berry ^-celled. 



2. C. TRIFOLIATA. (Smilacina. Desf.} Three-leaved Solomon's Seal. 



L/vs. 3 4, oval-lanceolate, tapering to both ends, amplexicaul ; rac. termi- 

 nal, simple. Ij. A delicate little species in mountain swamps, Can. N. Eng. 

 (rare), W. to Wis. ! Stem 3 5' high, pubescent, angular. Leaves 2 3f 



