494 L ili&cece Erythron ium. 



ORDER xr.-LILIACE.2E. 



Herbs having bulbous, tuberous, rhizomatous or fibrous roots, 

 or very rarely shrubs or trees. Leaves usually narrow, with 

 parallel veins, rarely net-veined. Inflorescence various. Flowers 

 usually showy and hermaphrodite. Perianth inferior ; segments 

 commonly 6, all alike, nearly free or united in a tube. Stamens 

 6, anthers turned inwards. Styles usually united to the top. 

 Fruit superior, 3-celled, many-seeded, capsular or fleshy ; seeds 

 albuminous. This 'order furnishes a great proportion of the 

 most brilliant of hardy petaloid monocotyledons. It contains 

 about 100 genera and 1,500 species. The limits of this order 

 are by no means satisfactorily defined, and this remark applies 

 with still greater force in respect to genera and species. Some 

 systematists include here the genera referred by others to 

 orders bearing the names MelcintJiacece^ Smilacece., Trilliacece^ 

 and Philesiacece. Those included in the two last-mentioned 

 groups will be found placed at the end of this order. 



1. ERYTHRONTUM. 



Dwarf stemless herbs with scaly bulbs, radical ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate often spotted leaves, and solitary pendulous rather 

 large flowers on a short scape. Perianth composed of 6 free 

 similar erect or reflexed lanceolate segments. Stamens 6. 

 Fruit a 3-celled capsule. About half-a-dozen species are known, 

 natives of north temperate regions in both the Old and New 

 Worlds. The generic name is from the Grreek spvOpo^ red, the 

 colour of the flowers in the European species. 



1. E. Dens-canis. Dog's-tooth Violet. This is the common 

 European species, an old and very beautiful border plant. It 

 grows about 6 inches high and the foliage is blotched with 

 purple-brown and white. Flowers about 2 inches in diameter, 

 purplish-red, rosy, lilac or white, according to the variety. It 

 blooms in March and April, and may be classed amongst the 

 handsomest of early Spring flowers. 



2. E. Americanum. Yellow Adder's-tongue. A very similar 

 plant with pale yellow flowers, produced in early Spring. The 

 segments of the perianth are spreading, not distinctly reflexed 

 as in the common species. A native of North America. 



