694 Order 140.— AMABYLLIDACB^. 



3-fid ; seeds oo, 2 rows in each sell, black. — Bulb tunicated, sending np 

 a scape with linear Ivs. Spathe 1-leaved. Fls. erect, showy and beau- 

 tiful. Fig. 315. 



Z. Atam5.goo Herbt. Spatho 2-cleft, acute; flowers solitary, pediceled; cor. 

 campanulate, suberect, with the segm. equally spreading above ; filaments muct 

 excesding the tube, but shorter than the segments. — An attractive flower, in wet 

 clay soils, "Va. to Fla. Lvs. linear, a foot long. Scape round, 6 to 12' high. 

 Spathe a little colored, bifid at the summit Flower largo, white and pink. Se- 

 pals lanceolate, J to 3J' long (including tlie 1' tube). March (S.), May (N) 

 (Amaryllis L.). 



4. AGA'VE, L. (Gr. oyaud^, admirable.) Perianth tubular-fnnncl- 

 form, adherent to the ovary, 6-parted ; staraens 0, c.xsertod ; anthers 

 linear, soon versatile ; capsule coriaceous, obtusely triangular, 3-celled, 

 many-seeded. — A splendid Atncrican genus. Eoot sometimes ligneous. 

 Stem herbaceous. Lvs. mostly radical, thick and rigid, channeled, 

 often spiny. Scape many-flowered. 



1 A. Virginioa L. False Aloe. Acauloscont, herbaceous ; lus. linear-lanceo- 

 late, fleshy, glabroaa, mtk cariilaginous serraiures on the marg-in ; scape simple, 

 glabrous, with leaf-like scales and sessile, tubular flowers. — Rocky banks, Penn. 

 to Ga. Soot premorse, tuberous. Scape 4 to 6f high, terete, glabrous, loosely 

 spicate above. Radical leaves long, acute. Flowers 1' long, greenish-yellow, 

 very fragrant, tube longer than the subulate segments. Anth. long oxserted. 

 Capsule roundish, obscurely 3-angled, 3-furrowed. Sept. \ 



2 A. Americana L. American Aloe. Century Plant. Acaulescent ; 

 lvs. spinous-deniate, lanceolate, coriaceous and fleshy ; sca2>e branched, lofty and 

 arborescent ; cm\ tiibe contracted in the middle ; pedicel as long as the corolla. — 

 The largest of all herbaceous plants, native of tropical America, often cultivated. 

 It is a popuLir notion that it flowers but once in a hundred years, but it is known 

 to flower much . oftener, according to the culture it receives. Leaves radical, 

 thick, 3 — G or 8f long, 4 — 12' wide. The scape arises from the center of the 

 leaves to tbo height of 15 to 25f, bearing a pyramidal panicle of innumerable yel- 

 low flowers. There is a variety with striped loaves. \ 



5. POLYAN'THES, L. Tuberose. (Gr. rroXvg, many, dv9e^.) 

 Perianth superior, funnel-form, with a long, curved tube ; filaments in- 

 serted into the throat, included ; ovary at the bottom of the tube, the 

 summit free. — Et. an upright rhizome, thick, producing tubers above. 

 St. terete; solid, simple, oo-flowered. 



P. tuberosa L. Lvs. linear-Lanceolate ; pet,"ils'oblong. — A green-houso plant. 

 Sts. bulbous at base with tuberous branches. Scape scaly, 2 to 3f high, with al- 

 ternate, largo, white, regular fls. of a delicious fragrance, which is most powerfiiJ 

 at evening. Aug., Sept f Ceylon. 



6. SPREKE^LIA, Endl. JacobeaLily. Perianth adherent G-loavcd, 

 Bubbilabiate and spreading above ; inner segm. narrower ; stam. 6, in- 

 serted on the ovary, unequal, and with the style declined, but bcndini,' 

 up at apex. — Bulbous. Scape fistulous, 1-flowored. Lvs. linear. 



S. formosiasima Herbt. Lvs. radic.il ; fls. nodding, very riugent, tube 

 fringed ; sta. included in the involute lower segments. — A splendid flower, grown 

 in light, loamy soil. Leaves thick, oblong, narrow. Scape a foot high. Spathe 

 red, disclosing a single large flower of a fine dark red color. Jn. — -Aug. 



7. GALAN'THUS, L. Snow-drop. (Gr. ydXa, milk, uvOog; from 

 the color.) Perianth superior, segments distinct, the 3 inner shorter, 

 notched or lobed ; stamens 6, ins«!rted on the top of the ovary, erect, 

 included ; style straight., longer than the stamens ; stigma eatirc ; cap- 



