Obdbb 149.— MBLANTHACli^. 719 



Gra. Lva. ahorter and broader than in Ko. 2. St. 2 to 5f high. Fla. veiy op«D, 

 5" diatn., sometimes all sterile. Jl. (Melanthium monoicum Walt.) 

 4 V. angustif&lium Ph. Ghass-lbaved VEKATRUit. Lvs. narrowly JiKea*-, 

 flat, very long, lowest obtuse, upper ones diminishing to subulate bracts ; fls. in a 

 slender panicle of racemes, those of the terminal raceme (except a few of the 

 highest) perfect and fertile, those of the lateral racemes mostly sterile ; segments 

 narrowly lanoeolate,-subulate, acuminate. — A very slender, grass-like species, in 

 TT-oods, "W." States to the Mts. of Car. Stem. 3f high, with greenish- white flowers. 

 I^eaves 1 — 2f by 2 — 3'', half-clasping. Panicle l-Jf long, pedicels shorter than 

 the flowers, each with a very minute bract. June, July. (Stenanthium, Gray.) 



4. AMIAK'THIUM, Gray. Fly-poison. (Gr. dfiiavrog, pure, immac- 

 ulate ; dv-&oc ; alluding to the white flowers.) Flowers ^ ; perianth 

 segments scarcely united at base, petaloid, spreading, sessile and witii- 

 out glands; stara. 6, hypogynons, as long as the segments; anthers 

 renifovm ; ovaries 3, more or less united ; caps. 8-lobed, 3-partible ; car- 

 pels follicular, 1 — 4-seeded ; testn of the seeds loose, at length fleshy. — 

 llerbs with scapiform stems, grass-like leaves, and a raceme of numerous, 

 white, long-pediceled fls., turning green with age. 



1 A. musoastoxioum Gray. St. bulbcms ; lvs. ftai, lm>er broad-linear, obtuse, up- 

 per reduced to bracts ; rao. simple ; segments oblong, obtuse, shorter than the sta- 

 mens ; pedicels filiform ; carpels distinct above ; sty. divergent ; seeds ovoid, red. 

 — Shady swamps, N. J., Penn. and Southern States. Stem 1 — 2f high. Leaves 

 mostly radical; about If long. Eaceme 2 to 4', rarely longer, dense-flowered, 

 pedicels G — 9" long. Periantli and stamens white, the latter rather the longest. 

 Carpels vmited only at base, the summits horn-like and diverging. Seeds rather 

 large, scarlet-red when ripe. Apr. — Jn. (Heloniaa erythrosperma Mx) 



2 A. angustifoliura Gray. St. slender, scarcely bulboits; lvs. narrowly linear, 

 tapering to a long, acute point; rac. simple; sep. oval, acutish, scarcely longer than 

 the stamens; sty. filiform, contiguous; seeds linear. — Damp pine -coods. Car. to 

 (Bainbridge, Ga., and) Fla. St. 2 to 3f high. Lvs. 9 to 18' long, 2 to 3" wide, 

 somewhat keeled, llac. 3 to 5' long, 1' diam. Ped. ascending. Anth. yellow, 

 twice smaller than in No. ]. Plant of a deep green. Apr. — Jn. 



5. SCHjENOCAU^LON, Gray. (Gr. axolvog, a rush, iiavXdg, caulis.) 

 Perianth herbaceous, of 6 linear-oblong, suberect, persistent sepals ; 

 stamens 6, hypogynous, much exserted, with large, reniform, 1-celled 

 anthers ; ovaries 3, slightly conjoined ; stigmas 3. — Herb bulbous, 

 acaulcscent, glabrous, with the l\s. all radical, very long and' narrow, 

 sedge-like, and a very slender scape. Fls. in a slender spike. 



S. gricile Gray. Sandy soils, Ga. and Fla. Scapes 2 to 3f high, lvs. half us 

 long. Spike 2 to 4', with pale green fls. Fr. yet unknown. Apr., May. 



6. XEROPHYL'LUM, Mx. (Gr. |^0f, dry, <piJnov, leaf.) Flowers 

 V ; leaflets of the perianth oval, spreading, petaloid, sessile, and with- 

 out glands ; stamens 6, filaments dilated and contiguous at base ; ovary 

 ■subglobous; styles 3, linear, revoluto; capsule subglobous, 3-lobed, 3- 

 celled, cells 2-seeded. — Herbs with numerous dry, setaceous leaves, the 

 lower longer, rosulately reclined, the upper gradually reduced. Rac, 

 simple, with "white, showy fls. 



X. asphodeloides Nutt. Sandy plains, N. J. to Car. St. 3 to 5f high, very 

 leafy. Radical lvs. If long, very narrow, crowded and casspitous. Fls. in a long, 

 dense, showy raceme. Segm. spreading 5", obtuse. Pedicels 1" or more long, 

 bractless at base, but with 2 bractlets above the base. Jn. 



7. HELO'WIAS, L. (Gr. ^Aof, a marsh ; -where some species grow.) 

 Flowers S ; perianth 6-parted, spreading, petaloid, the segments sessile, 



