528 Prof. Don's Monograph of Streptopus, &^c. 



apice recurvato-patentia. Filamenta brevissiina, compressa, dilatata, hinc 

 plana, inde angulo elevato carinata. Antherce sagittatse, aciiminatse, fila- 

 mentis ter longiores, apice integrae. Stylus trigonus, ovario dupl6 longior. 

 Stigma levitfef trilobum. Bacca globosa, miniata, pisi rnagnitudine. 



This species is pretty generally diffused throughout the mountainous parts 

 of central and southern Europe, occurring in shady woods, and flowering in 

 the months of June and July. It was originally discovered in the year 1576 

 by the accurate and indefatigable Clusius, as he himself states, in shady 

 woods on Mount Wechsel, and at Durrenstein in Austria ; and a faithful 

 woodcut and description of the plant were given by him in his Rariorum 

 Stirpium Historia, which appeared in 1583. This woodcut is repeated in his 

 Historia Plantarum, published in 1601 ; and copies from the same occur in 

 the works of Taberneemontanus, Gerarde, Morison, and Barrelier. There are 

 two other original woodcuts of the plant, namely, those given in the Epitome 

 of Camerarius, which appeared in 1586, and in the Valgrisian edition of 

 Matthiolus, published at Venice in 1583. This last represents the plant 

 wholly in fruit, and with straight peduncles. In the cuts of Clusius and 

 Camerarius, which last is repeated in Bauhin's Historia Plantarum, the 

 singular twisting of the peduncles is rudely represented. I am not satisfied 

 that the apparent originality of the cut given by Camerarius is not due to the 

 artist, who may have copied from Clusius, and introduced some alterations of 

 his own, for the figure is very faulty. 



Willdenow and some other writers quote as a synonym under this plant 

 Polygonatum ramosum perfoUatum luteum alpinum, Barr. Ic. t. 719, which 

 evidently belongs to Uvularia grandiflora, being clearly made up from Cor- 

 nuti's figure of Polygonatum ramosum Jlore luteo minus, with the stranj^e 

 addition of the berries of the present plant. 



This species is found likewise in North America, having been first observed 

 by Michaux in shady woods in Canada, and since by Pursh on the mountains 

 of Pennsylvania ; and Dr. Beck records it as indigenous to the State of New 

 York. It was cultivated by Philip Miller in Chelsea Garden in 1752, but the 

 plant is even now rarely to be seen in collections. The singular contortion 

 of the delicate peduncles appears to be for the purpose of keeping the flowers 

 from being injured, and their fecundation impeded by coming in contact with 



