Genus 6. 



BUNCH-FLOWER FAMILY 



i. Chamaelirium luteum (L.) A. Gray. 



Blazing-star. Fig. 1226. 



Veratrum luteum L. Sp. PI. 1044. 1753. 

 Chamaelirium carolinianum Willd. Mag. Nat. Fr. 



Berl. 2: 19. 1808. 

 Chamaelirium luteum A. Gray, Man. 503. 1848. 

 C. obovale Small, Torreya 1 : 108. 1901. 



Staminate plant ii°-2i° tall, the pistillate often 

 taller, sometimes 4 high. Basal leaves 2'-8' long, 

 i'-ii' wide, mostly obtuse, tapering into a long 

 petiole; stem leaves lanceolate, the or upper 

 linear, acute or acuminate, sessile or the lower 

 short-petioled ; staminate raceme nodding or 

 finally erect, s'-g' long, pedicels spreading, i"-2" 

 long; pistillate raceme erect; flowers nearly 3" 

 broad; capsule oblong or somewhat obovoid, 4 - 

 7" long, a"-3" in diameter. 



In moist meadows and thickets, Massachusetts to 

 southern Ontario and Michigan, south to Florida and 

 Arkansas. Called also Devil's bit, unicorn-root or 

 -horn, drooping starwort. False unicorn-plant. May- 

 July. 



7. CHROSPERMA Raf. Neog. 3. 1825. 



[Amianthium A. Gray, Ann. Lye. N. Y. 4: 121. 1837.] 

 An erect glabrous herb, with an ovoid-oblong coated bulb, and numerous long blunt 

 basal leaves, a few short ones on the stem. Flowers perfect, white, in a dense terminal 

 raceme, the lower ones first expanding. Perianth of 6 distinct glandless persistent obtuse 

 segments. Stamens inserted on the bases of the sepals; anthers small, reniform. Ovary 

 ovoid, 3-lobed, 3-celled. Capsule 3-celled, dehiscent above the middle, the cavities 1-2- 

 seeded, its 3 divergent lobes tipped with the subulate styles. Seeds ovoid, reddish brown. 

 [Greek, referring to the colored seeds.] 



A monotypic genus of eastern North America 

 based on Melanthium laetum Soland. 



i. Chrosperma muscaetoxicum (Walt.) 

 Kuntze. Fly-poison. Fig. 1227. 



Melanthium muscaetoxicum Walt. Fl. Car. 125. 1788. 

 Melanthium laetum Soland. in Ait. Hort. Kew. 1 : 



488. 1789. 

 Melanthium muscaetoxicum A. Gray, Ann. Lye. N. 



Y. 4: 122. 1837. 

 Chrosperma muscaetoxicum Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 



708. 1891. 



Bulb l4'-2' long, nearly 1' in diameter. Stem 

 ii -4° tall. Basal leaves z"-i$" wide, shorter 

 than the stem, the upper few and distant, bract- 

 like; raceme at first ovoid-conic, becoming cylin- 

 dric, 2-5' long; pedicels ascending, 4"-io" long; 

 bractlets ovate, i"-2" long; sepals ovate-oblong, 

 obtuse, 2"-3" long; filaments filiform, about 

 equalling the sepals; capsule 2"-$" in diameter 

 above the middle, scarcely as long; seeds about 

 ii" long. 



In dry sandy woods, Long Island and eastern 

 Pennsylvania to Florida, Tennessee, Missouri and 

 Arkansas. Ascends to 4000 ft. in Virginia and to 

 2100 ft. in Pennsylvania. Hellebore. Crow-poison. 

 May-July. 



8. STENANTHIUM Kunth, Enum. 4: 189. 1842. 



Erect glabrous bulbous herbs, with leafy stems and small white or greenish, polygamous 

 flowers in an ample terminal penicle. Leaves narrowly linear, keeled. Perianth-segments 

 narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, glandless, spreading, persistent, adnate to the base of the 

 ovary. Stamens shorter than the perianth-segments, inserted on their bases ; anthers small, 

 cordate or reniform. Ovary ovoid. Capsule ovoid-oblong, 3-lobed, finally dehiscent to the 

 base, the lobes with short slightly divergent beaks. Seeds about 4 in each cavity, oblong, 

 angled, somewhat flattened. [Greek, in allusion to the narrow perianth-segments.] 



The genus comprises only the two following species of which the first is the type. 

 Leaves 2"-%" wide; capsule reflexed. 1. S. gramineum. 



Leaves 3"-io" wide; capsule erect. 2. S.robustum. 



