718 Ordeb 149.— MELANTHAOEyE. 



above its contracted base ; stamens inserted in contact with the ovary ; 

 capsule membranous, 3-celled, many-seeded, sopticidal ; seeds scarcely 

 winged. — ^ St. simple, paniculate above, smooth and glaucous, as well 

 as the linear Ivs. P^ls. greenish. 



1 Z. glab6rriinu3 Mx. Rhizome creeping ; Ivs. linear, channeled, recurved ; pan- 

 icle pyramidal ; bracts ovate, acuminate ; segm. of the perianth acuminate, gUmdi 

 2 on the claw of each. — ^S. States. St. 2 to 3f high. Lower Iva. about 10' long, 

 upper ones gradually diminishing, all concave and tapering to a point. Panicle 

 terminal, loose, consisting of many greenish- white fls. Sep. ovate-lanceolate, free 

 from the stamens, the 2 glands orbicular, distinct and conspicuous. Jn. 



2 Z. glaiicus Nutt. St. iulbous, nearly naked; Ivs. shorter than the stem, linear, 

 rather obtuse ; panicle simple ; bracts lanceolate, shorter than the pedicels ; seg- 

 ments oval or obovate, obtuse, each with an obccrdate gland. — Sandy shores. Can. to 

 N. Y. and "Wis. Stem 10 — 15' high. Leaves glaucous, upper gradually reduced 

 to bracts. Raceme subsimple, sometimes a little compound at base. Flowers 

 few (10 — 20), greenish-white, on pedicels 1' long, the segments with the 2 glands 

 united. Capsule oblong-ovoid, carpels divergent at apex, 6 — 8-seeded. Jl., Aug. 



3 Z. leimanthoides Gray. Bt. fibrovs ,• Ivs. linear, flat ; pan. simple, the terminal 

 raceme elongated ; segments obovate, with a glandular spot at base, and longer than 

 tlie linear styles ; sds. winged at the apex, lanceolate, compressed. — N. J. to La. 

 Stem roundish, 2— 4f high, the lower leaves about half as long, pale green, acute. 

 Flowers white, on filiform pedicels, finally recurved. Segments of the perianth 

 obtuse, a little shorter than the capillary filaments. July. 



3. VERATRUM, Toum. False Hellebork. (Lat. vere, alrum, 

 truly black ; alluding to the dark color of the flowers or root.) Flowers 

 by abortion 3 ^' ? ; segments of the perianth united at base, petaloid, 

 spreading, sessile and without glands ; stamens 6, shorter than the peri- 

 anth, and inserted on its base ; ovaries 3, united at base, often abortive ; 

 styles short ; capsule 3-lobed, 3-partible, co-seeded. — Rt. Ivs. alternate. 

 Fls. paniculate. 



§ Stem stout and very leafy throughout. Sepals lanceolate, acuminato No. 1 



§ Stem fclcutler, nearly naked. — Sep.als obtusisli. Leaves oval and lanceolate Nus. 2, S 



— Sepals acuminate. Leaves linear No. 4 



1 v. viride Ait. Lvs. lance-oval, acuminate; st. stout and very leafy; panicle 

 compound, racemous ; bracts oblong-lanceolate, bracteoles longer than the downy 

 pedicels. — Can. to Ga. A large-leaved, coarse- looking plant, of our meadows and 

 swamps. Hoot large, fleshy, with numerous long fibers. Stem 2 — if high, stri- 

 ate and pubescent. Leaves strongly veined and plaited, the lower near a foot 

 long and half as wide, sheathing at the base. Flowers numerous, green, in many 

 axillary (or bracted) racemes, which together form a very large, pyramidal, ter- 

 minal panicle. July. Root emetic and stimulant, but poisonous. (V. album Mx.) 



2 V. Woodii Robbins. Inm.vna Teeatrum. Lvs. mostly radical, lanceolate 

 and linear-lanceolate, glabrous, veined and plicate, acute tapering to a long, 

 winged, .sheathing petiole ; St. or scape terete, tall, erect, with remote, lance- 

 linear bracts ; panicle simple, slender, pyramidal, many-flowered ; fls. i 5 , sub- 

 sessile ; segments oblanceolate, sessile {the stamens nearly free and of equal length) 

 dark brownish-purpU within. — "Woods, Green Co., la.. 111. (Mead) and Iowa (Cous- 

 ens). Root fasciculate. Leaves 10—16' long (including the 4-— 8' petiole), 2 — 4 

 wide. Bracts 1 — 3' long. Scape 3 — 6f high, paniculate J its length. Flowers 

 9'' diam., almost black, with red stamens, upper and lower sterile. Ovary oblong, 

 crowned with 3 spreading styles half its length. Seeds compressed, winged with 

 the broad, loose, membranous testa. July. — Tery different from the next. 



3 V. parviflorum Mx. Lvs. mostly radical, oval and lance-oval, glabrous, 

 scarcely plicate, contracted at base into winged petioles; stem scape-liko, terete, 

 bracted- panicle elongated, very loose, with filiform branches; fis. dingy green, on 

 filiform pedicels, segm,. lance-spatidaie, unguiculate, the claws bearing ihs st.amen£, 

 which are scarcely half as long. — Blue Kidge, Va. (Miss Carpenter) to the Mts. of 



