Oedeb 148.— LILIACB^. 718 



Chatanqne Co., N. Y. (Torrey) to Car. along the AMeghanies. Lvs. 6 to 9' by 1 

 to 2', scarcely acuminate, striate. Scape 8 to 10' high, pubescent. Umbel oorym- 

 bous, with the fis. email (4 to 5'' long), white, spotted with purple inside, odorons. 

 Jn. (Convallaria umbellata Poir.) 



19. SMILACI'NA, Desf. Solomon's Seal. (Lat. diminutive of 

 mtilax, but with no good reason.) Perianth of 6 equal, spreading 

 segments united at the base ; stamens 6, slender, perigynous, anthers 

 short ; ovary globous, 3-celled (rarely 2-celIcd), with 2 ovules in each 

 cell; style short, thick; berry globous, pulpy, 1 to 3-seeded. — if Rhi- 

 zome creeping, thick or slender. St. leafy, bearing a terminal cluster 

 of white fls. 



S Raceme compound. Stamens longer tlian the perianth. Ovules collateral No. 1 



§ Kaccme simple. Stamens shorter than tliu perianlli, Ovules one above tho other. ..Nos. 2, 3 



1 S. racemdsa Desf. Clustered Solomon''s Seal. St. recurved; lvs. oval, 

 acuminate, subseasilo; rao. compound. — Copses, common, Gar. and U. S. Rhi- 

 zome thick, sweetish to tho taste. Stem 18' — 2f high, downy, always gracefully 

 recurved at top. Lvs. 4 to 6' long, u, third as wide, veined, sharply acuminate, 

 minutely downy. Petioles to 2" long. Fls. very many, small, white in all their 

 parts, in an oval panicle of racemes. Berries red, dotted, subpelluoid, as large as 

 peas. Apr. — Jn. (Convallaria, L.) 



2 S. stelli.ta Desf. St' erect; lvs. many, lanceolate, acute, amplexioaul; fls. few, 

 in a simple raceme. — Along rivers, Can. and Northern States, "W. to the Misa 

 St. 10 to 20' high, round and smooth. Lvs. 8 to 10, glabrous, glaucous beneath, 

 4 to 6' by 9 to 12", tapering gradually to the apex. Fls. white, about 8, 4'' diam. 

 Sogm. lance-oblong, obtuse, twice longer than the stamens. Berries nearly black. 

 May, Jn. (Asleranthemum Kunth.) 



3 S. trlfoli^ta Desf. Erect; lis. 3 or 4, oval-lanceolale, tapering to ioih ends, am- 

 plexicaul ; raa terminal, simple. — A delicate little species in mountain-swampe, 

 Can., N. Eng. (rare), "W. to Wis. St. 3 to 5' high, pubescent, angular. Lvs. 2 

 to 3-j-' long, a fifth to a third as wide, somewhat acuminate. Fls. 4 to 10, on 

 pedicels 2 to 1" long, white. Segm. obtuse, finally refiexed, a third longer than 

 the stamens. Ovary often but 2-cellecl, with 2 stigmas. Berry 2 or 3-seeded, 

 dark red. May. (Convallaria, L. Asteranthemum Kunth.) 



20. MAJAN'THEMUM, Mcench. Two-leaved Solomon's Seal. 

 (Gr. Maia, a mountain nymph, dvOe^ov, a flower.) Perianth of 4 ovate, 

 obtuse, sjj|eading segments united at base; stamens 4; ovary 2-celled; 

 otherwise as in SmilaciDa. — Rhizome creeping. St. bearing 2 or 3 lvs. 

 Fls. in ii'^imple terminal raceme. 



M. bifdiium DC. A small plant frequent upon tho edges of woodlands. Can., N. 

 Eng., W. to Wis. St. angular, about 6' high. Lvs. 2, rarely 3, about 2' long, i 

 as wide, ovate, distinctly cordate, sessUe, or the lowest on a petiole. Rac. erect, 

 an inch long, consisting of 12 to 20 white fls. Berry small, round, and when 

 mature pale red, speckled with deep purple. May. 



21. ASPAR'AGUS, L. (The ancient Greek name.) Perifinth 6- 

 parted, segments erect, slight spreading above ; stamens 0, perigynous ; 

 style very short; stigmas S; berry 3-celled, cells 2-seeded. — 11 Rts. 

 fibrous, matted. Sts. with very narrow lvs. and small fls. 



A. officinalis L. St. herbaceous, unarmed, very branching, erect ; lvs. setaceous, 

 flexible, fasciculate. — Escaped fi:om gardens and naturalized on rocky shores. St 

 2 to 4f high. Lv.s. filiform, i to 1-^' long, pale pea-green. Fls. axillary, sohtaiy 

 or in pairs. Berries globoup, red. It is one of the oldest and most delicate cuh- 

 nary vegetables, was no less praised in ancient Rome, by Plin}-, Cato and other 

 writers, than at the present day. Diuretic. Jl. § Eur. 



22. STREPTO'PUS, Mx. Twist-foot. (Gr. a-pt4>o), to turn, ttov^, 

 foot ; a twisted footstalk or peduncle.) Perianth 6-parted, campanu- 



