4S6 



LILIACE.'E 



tened brfiiiihes, each terminating in a sliarp spine ; flowers minute, 

 green, growing singly from the centres of the flattened branches ; 

 berries as large as marbles, round, scarlet. — Woods in the south ; 

 un<'omnion. — Fl. Februar) — May. Perennial. 



2. AspAraciis. — Herbaceous plants with a stout rhizome; 

 branclied stem bearing tufts of green, bristle-like iM-aiiclies m the 



axils of minute scale-like 

 leaves; flowers small, pen- 

 dulous, often dicecious ; peri- 

 anih deeply 6-cleft, bell- 

 shaped ; stamens 6, distinct ; 

 stigmas 3 ; jrmt berry-like, 

 3-Chambered, 3 — 6-seeded. 

 (Name, the Greek name of the 

 plant. ) 



I. A. marilimus (Common 

 Asparagus). — The only British 

 species, differing chiefly in size 

 froln the cultivated plant, has 

 its ston prostrate at its base, 

 giving off ascending branches 

 about a foot long, slender, 

 and flexuous ; floioers 1 — 2 

 together, yellowish - white ; 

 berrv scarlet. — On the sea- 

 coast in the south-west, especi- 

 ally near the Lizard; rare. — 

 Fl: July, August. Perennial. 



3. POLVGONA'rUM (Solo- 



mon's Seal). — Herbaceous 

 plants with a fleshy rlvzome : 

 leafy stem; axillary flowers: 



AspAKAi.ub BiAi.'i'TiJiui (C,./«);/i.« _ / .,/,i; ,1.1.' («). tujjular, 6 - cleft penaiiili ; 



stiki'iieiis 6, free, included ; friiil 



berry-like, (Name from the Greek polm, many, goiui, a knee, 



from the zigzag rhizome.) 



I. /'. verticiHdiiiiii (Narrow-leaved Salomon's Seal). — 5/f;;/ erect, 



2 — 3 feet high, angular; leaves sessile,?- linear-lanceolate, in whorls 



of 3 - 6 ; flowers greenish ; Iterries red. — Woods in the north : very 



rare. — Fl. June, July. Perennial. 



■2. P. miillifloriiiii (Common Solomon's Seal).- i\ striking [ilant, 



1 — 2 feet high, with a round, droopipg stem, bearing numerousj 



