LILIACE^. 219 



inner leaf), semicircular, keeled ; lamina elliptical or oblong-elliptical 

 or oblanceolate-elliptical, flat, deep green. Scape triangular, almost 

 triquetrous, naked. Spathe 2-valved, ovate-lanceolate, gradually acu- 

 minated towards the beak, wholly scarious. Flowers numerous, erect, 

 in a lax flat-topped umbel with long pedicels, destitute of head-bul- 

 bules. Perianth leaves spreading, naiTowly oblong-elliptical, subacute, 

 wholly white. Stamens included, much shorter than the perianth ; 

 filaments all simple, linear, all adhering to the bases of the perianth seg- 

 ments. Capsule scarcely as long as broad, turbinate, deeply 3-lobed, 

 with obtuse lobes. Seeds 1 (rarely 2) in each cell, subglobose. 



On hedgebanks and in woods, copses, etc., and in damp pastures. 

 Rather common, and generally distributed. Rare in the north of 

 Scotland, and not reaching the most northern counties. Not un- 

 frequent, and generally distributed in Ireland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Early Summer. 



Bulbs 1 to 2 inches long by J to i inch across. Leaves appearing 

 in spring; petioles 3 to 10 inches long; lamina 2 to 8 inches long, 

 by 1 to 4 inches broad. Scape 4 to 20 inches high. Pedicels }j to l^ 

 inch long. Perianth leaves about -1- inch long, spreading like a star 

 while in flower. Stamens two-thirds of the length of the perianth 

 leaves. Capsule about the size of a sweet-pea seed, deeply indented at 

 the apex. Seeds commonly reduced to 1 in each cell by the abortion 

 of the second, in which case they are less compressed than when there 

 are two. 



The growth of A. ursinum is very similar to that of A. narcissiflorum 

 of Villars (A. Pedemontanum, Willd.), which is frequently but im- 

 2)roperly placed among the rhizomatous Allia. A. ursinum, A. ^'icto- 

 rialis, and A. narcissiflorum, have all extremely short rhizomes, wliich, 

 however, decay towards the base, so that the rootstocks never grow 

 out into thick Iris-like rhizomes as m tlie Rhiziridea of Don. hi all 

 these three species the bulbs are elongated and surrounded by bristly 

 fibres, sometimes solitary, but more often 2 or 3 attached to the apex 

 of the rhizomes : they ought either to form a separate group or be 

 placed in Scordon of Koch. 



Ramsons. 

 French, Ail des ours. German, Bdrenlauch 



Dr. Prior gives us the origin of the common name of this plant thus : " From the 

 Danish and Swedish ram, rank, so called from its strong odour. Ramson would be 

 the plural of ramse, as peason of pease, and oxen of ox. The appearance of this plant 

 before the blossoms appear is so like that of the lily of the valley, that many persons 

 have mistaken one for the other, and have only been undeceived by the overpowering 

 smell of onions which the leaves emit. This plant is much prized by the Russians, 

 especially in Kamtchatka, where it grows in large quantities ; it is used both as 

 an ingi-edicnt in food and as a remedy for scurvy, for which even in its worst form it 



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