PLend.ph. 12. JUNCE^. 107. Abama. 171 



IV. 107. ABAMA. Adanson. Bastard-asphodel. 



Pertgonium 6-sepaled ; stamens 6, opposite to the sepales; 

 Jilaments woolly, persistent; anthers linear; ovary pyra- 

 midical ; style short ; stigma capitate ; capsule 3-celled ; 

 valves 3, bearing the dissepiments ; seeds numerous, ovate, 

 oblong, carunculated, imbricated on the inner margin of 

 the dissepiments. — Root fibrous, aggregate; rhizoma creep- 

 ing, threadlike; radical leaves equitant, ensiform, ribbed, 

 sheathing at bottom, edge membranaceous ; culm ascend- 

 ing, simple, sligiitly leafed ; stem-leaves 1 to 3, alternate, 

 short, submembranaceous ; fiowers spiked, persistent, pe-» 

 duncied, yellow ; hracteoe lanceolate, 2 to each peduncle. 



Abama ossifragum. Bonelreaking bastard-asphodel. 



Leaves swordshape ; Jlower loosely spiked, nearly sessile. 



Phalangiiim Anglicum palustre iridis folio, Raii Syn. 375, 1. 

 Asphodelus Lanraslrias verus, Ger. em. 97. 

 Anthericum ossifraginD, Lin. S. P. 440. 

 Narthecium ossifragum, Huds. Fl. ^ingh 145, 

 ' h.ima ossifragum, Dt Cand. Fl, Fr. 1S52. 

 Lancashire bnstard-asphodel. 



Turfy bogs ; perennial ; July, August. 



Culm 10 in. high, smooth; spike upright; peduncles al- 

 ternate, sometimes two together, upright, angular ; bractea 

 concave ; ovary oblong, awlshape at the tip ; capsule deep 

 yellow, shining. 



Fam. VIII. 13. COLCHICACE^. De CandoUe: Me- 

 renderce, Mirbel : Melanthacece, R. Brown ; 

 Juncorum et liliorum genera gucedam^ Jussieu. 



Flowers hermaphrodite ; perigonium petaloid, 6-sepaled ; 

 sometimes tubular at bottom ; sepales before expanding 

 involute ; stamens 6, adnate to the sepales ; anthers often 

 inverted; ovary one 3-celled (or 3?), many-seeded; style 

 3-cut or parted ; stigmata 3 ; capsule 3-partite, 3-valved ; 

 edge of valves inflected and forming the dissepiments ; seeds 

 many, affixed to the inner marginal euture ; spermodermis 

 simple, membranaceous, neither black nor crustaceous; 

 corculum inclosed ; perisperm fleshy. 



Plants have a strong action on the human body, as 

 emetics, purgatives, and caustics ; so as to require the utmost 

 caution in using them as medicines. 



Perigonium 6-sepaled ; involucrum 3-leaved ; 



Jlower pedicelled Tofieldia. 108. 



Base of the perigonium tubular, radical. Colghicum. 1 09. 



