LILIACEiE. 177 



England, Scotland. Perennial. Summer. 



Rootstock about the thickness of a man's little finger, creeping. 

 Stem ei'ect, 15 inches to 3 feet liigh or more, naked at the base, 

 angular above, with numerous whorls of leaves from below the middle 

 to the apex. Leaves 3 to 6 inches long, green, paler beneath, much 

 longer than the internodes, with a strong midrib and numerous parallel 

 ribs connected by transverse veins, very finely scabrous-pubescent 

 on the ribs and margins. Peduncles longer than the flowers, gene- 

 rally branched at the apex, the upper ones sometimes simple and 

 1-flowered. Perianth about -| inch long, contracted about the middle, 

 the limb consisting of spreading teeth, green and bearded inside. 

 Filaments very short. Berries the size of small red currants. The 

 ripe fresh fruit I have not seen ; according to Smith it is deep blue, 

 but Koch describes it as red. 



Wliorled-leaved Solomon's Seal. 



French, Muguet verticelle. German, Querhlattrige Weissvimrz. 



The origin of the common name of this plant is variously given. Dr. Prior tells us 

 it comes from " the flat round scars on the rootstock, resembhng the impressions of 

 a seal, and called Solomon's from his seal being of frequent occurrence iu Oriental 

 tales, and a familiar expression;" while Dr. Withering considers that its reputed 

 efficacy for " knitting together, soddering or seah'ng of broken bones," gives rise to the 

 name. We incline to think that the shape of the flowers as they hung on the stem 

 may have suggested the idea of seals. The virtues attributed to this plant in former 

 times were many and great. Gerarde tells us that " the root of Solomon's Seal 

 stamped while it is fresh and greene and appHed, taketh away in one night, and two 

 at the most, any bruise, blacke or blew spots gotten by fals or women's wilfulnessc in 

 stumbling upon their hasty husband's fists, or such like." He adds : " As touching the 

 knitting of bones, and that tnily which might be written would seem to some 

 incredible ; but common experience teacheth that in the world there is not another 

 herb to be found comparable to it for the purposes aforesaid ; and therefore in bricfe, 

 if it be for bruises inward the roots must be stamped, some ale or wine put thereto 

 and strained and given to di'inkc." 



The roots macerated for some time in water yield a substance capable of being used 

 as food, and consisting principally of starch. The young shoots form an excellent 

 vegetable when boiled and eaten like asparagus, and are largely consumed in Turkey. 



SPECIES n.-POLYGONATUm MULTIPLORUM. All. 



Plate MDXIII. 



Eeich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. X. Tab. CCCCXXXIII. 



Convallaria multiflora, ,S'to. Engl. Bot. ed. i. No. 279 ; and Engl. Fl. Vol. II. p. 156. 



Fries, Snmm. Veg. Scand. p. 64. Each, Syn. Fl. Germ, et Helv. ed. ii. p. 814. 



Eeich. 1. c. p. 5. 



Stem arching, terete, without elevated lines, glabrous. Leaves al- 

 ternate, subdistichous, ascending in two directions at an obtuse angle 

 with each other; the lower ones semiamplexicaul ; the upper sessile; 



VOL. IX. A A 



