514 Pro/". Don's Monograph of the Genus Dispomm. 



from that family to the Smilacece, the chain of connexion between them being 

 rendered complete by the intervention of a new genus, of which Streptopus 

 lanuginosus is the type. 



In the normal group of Melanthacece, which is principally confined to 

 North America, the floral organs are persistent, and the partial decomposition 

 of the trimerous pericarpium is almost universal. The Melanthacece appear 

 naturally to divide themselves into three groups, namely, the Melantheoe or 

 Feratrece, in which the carpels are but partially concrete, the pericarpium 

 capsular, with usually septicidal dehiscence, the flowers frequently unisexual, 

 the perianthium less coloured, and constantly, as well as the stamens, per- 

 sistent, and the rhizoma fibrous ; secondly, the Colchicece, in which the peri- 

 anthium is more highly developed, the sepals furnished with long claws often 

 combined into a tube, the styles long, the carpels concrete, the pericarpium 

 capsular with septicidal dehiscence, the rhizoma bulbous, and the floral axis 

 naked and hypogaeous ; and, thirdly, the Anguillariece, having the floral 

 organs frequently deciduous, the styles short, as in the first group, the car- 

 pels completely concrete, the pericarpium capsular or baccate, with loculi- 

 cidal dehiscence, a bulbous or fibrous rhizoma, and a leafy axis. The genus 

 Colchicum establishes an evident relationship through Sternbergia and Crocus 

 between Melanthacece, Amaryllideoe, and Iridece. The present genus connects 

 the family with Smilacece, and Tojieldia as clearly with Junceae, whilst a 

 comparison of the structure of Uvularia and Erythronium fully makes out 

 their affinity with Liliacece or Tulipacece. In Uvularia, which is closely allied 

 to Disporum, the perianthium is also campanulate, with imbricate aestivation ; 

 the stamens adhere to the sepals at the base, and fall off together; the peri- 

 carpium is capsular, with polyspermous cells and loculicidal dehiscence ; the 

 ovula, which are arranged in two rows, are cuneate, angular, and carunculate 

 at the apex, with the raphe forming an elevated ridge along their inner side. 

 The flowers are axillary and solitary, and the capsule is turbinately triangular, 

 and sometimes, as in Uvularia grandijlora, three-lobed. The seeds are de- 

 scribed by Linnaeus, Jussieu, Smith, and others, as arillate, but incorrectly, 

 they being furnished merely with a fleshy appendage at their apex, resulting 

 from an enlargement of the testa at that point. The same thing occurs in 

 Erythronium, a genus belonging to the Liliacece or Tulipacece, and which, 



