342 LILr FAMILY. 



T. erythroc&rpum, Painted T. Low woods or bogs N. : leaves ovate, 

 taper-pointed ; petals lance-ovate, pointed, wavy, white' with, pink stripes at tha 

 base ; berry bright red. 



2. MEDEOLA, INDIANr CUCUMBER-RaOT . (from the taste of_the 

 tuberous white and horizontal rootstock; the Latin name from J^edea,~the 

 sorceress). Fl. early summer. 



M. Virglnica, the only species : in woods : simple stem l°-3° high, cot- 

 tony when young, bearing near the middle a whorl of 5 - 9 obovate-lanceolate 

 thin and veiny but also parallel-ribbed leaves, and another of 3 (rarely 4 or 5) 

 much smaller ovate ones at the top, around an umbel of a few small recurved- 

 stalked flowers. 



3. COLCHICTTM. (Named from the country, Colchis.) Flowers in au- 

 tumn, sends up the lanceolate root-leaves the next spring. Sparingly cult, 

 from Eu. for ornament 



C. autumndle. Common C, mostly with rose-purple or lilac flowers. 

 C. variegatUm, perhaps a variety, has shorter and wavy leaves, and peri- 

 anth variegated with small purple squares, as if tessellated. 



4. CHAM-iELtRIUM, DEVIL'S BIT. (Name in Greek means Ground 

 Lily, of no obvious fitness. ) Fl. summer. 



C. Itlteimi, also called Blazing-Star : low grounds, commoner W. & S. : 

 rootstock short and abrupt, sending up a stem l°-3° high, bearing flat lance- 

 olate leaves at base, some shorter ones up the stem, and a wand-like spike or 

 raceme of small bractless flowers, the sterile ones from the stamens appearing 

 yellow. 



5. HEL^IOAS. (Name probably from the Greek for a swamp, in which 

 the species grows. ) Fl. spring. 



H. bull&ta. Eare and local plant, from New Jersey to E. Virginia, but 

 sometimes cult. : very smooth, the tuberous stock producing a tuft of oblong or 

 lance-spatulate evergreen leaves, from the centre of which rises in spring a leaf- 

 less scape 1° - 2° high, bearing the rather handsome flowers. 



6. XEROFH7IiIiTJM. (Name means, in Greek, on'd-feaucrf, the narrow 

 leaves being dry and rigid.) Fl. early summer. 



X. asphodelioldes. Pine barrens, from New Jersey S. : a striking plant, 

 with the aspect of an Asphodel; simple stout stem rising 2° -4° high from a 

 thick or bulb-like base, densely beset at base with very long needle-shaped rigid 

 recurving leaves, above with shorter ones, which at length are reduced to bristle- ^ 

 like bracts ; the crowded white flowers showy. 



7. AMli-NTHIUM, FLY-POISON. (Name, from the Greek, alludes 

 to the flowers destitute of the spots or glands of Melanthium and Zygade 

 nus. ) Flowers summer, turning greenish or purplish with age. 



A. muscSBtbxicum, Broad-leaved F. Open woods from New Jersey 

 S. : with a rather large bulb at the base of the stem, bearing many broadly linear 

 (^'-1' wide) blunt leaves; raceme dense; flowers rather large; seeds few, red 

 and fleshy. 



A. angustifolium. Pine barrens S. : stem hardly bulbous at base, 2' 

 high ; leaves narrow, acute, pale ; seeds linear, not fleshy. 



8. STENANTHIUM. (Name from Greek means narrow flower.) Fl. 

 summer. 



S, angustifdlium. Low meadows and prairies, from Penn. S. & W. : 

 2° -6° high, leafy, the leaves long and narrow ; flowers only i' long, in a pro- 

 longed terminal and many shorter lateral racemes, making an ample light 

 panicle. 



