534 THE LILT FAMILY. 



1. Bog Nartheciuiu. Narthecium ossifragum, Huds. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 535. Bog or Lancashire Asphodel.) 



Eootstock shortly creeping. Stem stiff and erect, 6 inches to a foot high or 

 rarely more. Leaves shorter tlian the stem and near its base, linear, vertically 

 flattened and sheathing at their base in two opposite ranks as in the Iris 

 family; the upper ones reduced to sliort scales. Flowers in a stiff terminal 

 raceme, of a bright yellow. Perianth-segments spreading, lanceolate and 

 pointed, 3 or 4 lines long, green on the back and persistent as m Ornitho- 

 galum. Stamens rather shorter, their filaments covered with a white wool. 

 Capsule very pointed, longer than the perianth. 



In bogs, in western and central Europe, scarcely penetrating within the 

 Kussian frontier, and not an Arctic plant, but found also in North America ; 

 a rare instance of a species common to Europe and North America without 

 extending over Asia. In Britain, abundant wherever there are bogs and 

 wet moors. Fl. sttmmer. 



XVI. TOFIEI.DIA. TOFIELDIA. 



Herbs, with creeping rootstocks, grass-like, chiefly radical leaves, verti- 

 cally flattened and sheathing on opposite sides as in the Iris famOy, and 

 small yellow flowers in terminal spikes. Perianth of 6 distinct segments, 

 persistent round the capsule. Stamens inserted at their base. Ovary 

 3-lobed, with 3 distinct styles. Capsule small, 3-lobed, with several small, 

 oblong, brown seeds. 



A small genus, chiefly North- American, extending along the Andes to 

 tropical America, and westward across northern Asia to Europe. In its 

 free styles it shows some approach to Triglochin in the Alisma family. 



1. Marsh Toiieldia. Tofieldia palustris, Huds. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 536. Scottish Asphodel.) 



Radical leaves an inch or rarely IJ inches long. Flower-stem about 6 

 inches high, with one or two short leaves at its base, and terminated by a 

 little globular or ovoid spike or head ; the perianth not quite a line long. 

 The very short pedicels are each in the axil of a minute bract, and within 

 tliat bract is a stUl smaller 2-lobed or 3-lobed one, sometimes quite imper- 

 ceptible, but never placed at the top of the pedicel as in the larger species 

 which is common in central Europe. 



In the bogs of northern Europe, Asia, and America, and of the great 

 mountain-ranges of central Europe, but always at high latitudes or in 

 alpine situations. Not uncommon in the mountains of Scotland, northern 

 England, and Ireland. Fl. summer. 



XVII. COIiCHICUiyi. COLCHICTJM. 



Bulbous herbs, with radical leaves, and the large, almost radical, long- 

 tubed flowers of Crocus. Stamens 6. Ovary underground, but within the 

 tube of the perianth, not below it. Styles 3, very long and thread-like. 

 Capsule 3-valved, with many seeds. 



A small genus, chiefly Mediterranean and vrest Asiatic, with the habit of 

 Crocus, but very different stamens, ovary, and styles. 



