178 EXGLISII BOTANY. 



all oval or elliijtlcal, subracmbranous, glabrous, glaucous beneath. Pe- 

 duncles from the axils of most of the leaves, except the very lowest 

 and a few of the ui)pcrmost, 2- to 6-flowered, branched m the upper 

 half. Flowers pendulous, clavate-cylindrical, swollen at the base, 

 contracted near the middle. Filaments pubescent. 



In woods. Rather rare, but widely distributed in England, though 

 probably introduced in many of its stations. In Scotland it has no 

 claims to be considered as more than a naturalised plant. In Ireland 

 it is sparingly naturalised in a grove at Blarney. 



England, [Scotland, Ireland]. Perennial. Early Summer. 



Rootstock extensively creeping, about the thickness of a man's 

 finger, marked on the upper side with scars at the extremity of each 

 annual growth, at the places where the stems have decayed, each 

 branch with a single stem at the apex, with a bud beneath it. 

 Stem 18 inches to 3 feet high, appearing in spring, at first en- 

 closed in a cylindrical-clavate spathelike sheath, which afterwards 

 envelopes the base of the stem ; lower half of the stem erect and bare 

 of leaves, the upper part slightly arching and with numerous leaves. 

 Leaves 3 to 6 inches long, placed alternately in two rows, those in 

 each row obliquely ascending, and much longer than the internodes. 

 Flowers in short subcorymbose racemes on recurved axillary ped- 

 inicles which are shorter than the leaves; pedicels shorter than 

 the flowers, usually without bracts at the base, though Reichenbach 

 figures a form with foliaceous bracts. Perianth f inch long, slightly 

 swollen at the base, contracted above the ovary and again expanding 

 towards the apex, which has six broadly-lanceolate teeth; the colour 

 is greenish-white, green and bearded on the inside of the teeth. Fila- 

 ments adnate to the perianth for the greater part of their length, 

 clothed with minute hairs ; anthers yellow. Style about as long as 

 the stamens. Berry about the size of a red currant, bluish-ljlack with 

 a white bloom. Seeds 6 (or fewer by abortion), about the size of 

 sago grains, pale, enclosed in dark green pulp. 



Common Solomon's Seal. 



French, Muguct Sceau He Salomon. German, Vidbliitldge Wekstvurz. 



SPECIES III.-POLYGONATUM OFFICINALE. All. 



Plate MDXII. 



Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Hclv. Vol. X. Tab. CCCCXXXIV. Fig. 364. 



P. vulgare, Desf. Ktmth, Enum. PI. Vol. V. p. 132. Gren. & Godr. FL de Pr. Vol. 



in. p. 228. 

 Convallaria Polygonatum, I/imi. Sm. Engl. Bot. ed. i. p. 280 ; and Eng. Fl. Vol. III. 



p. 155. Fries, Summ. Veg. Scand. p. 64. Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ, et Helv. ed. ii. 



p. 884. Eeich. I.e. p. 5. 



