LILT FAMILT. 341 



Among the various cultivated plants of the choicer collections, the following 

 are not rarely met with. 



« Not bulbous. 



Phormium t^nax. New Zealand Flax. Nearly hardy N., but does 

 not flower; the very iirin finely nerved linear evergreen leaves tufted on matted 

 rootstocks, strongly keeled, condnplicate below, nernly flat above, yielding a 

 very strong fibre for cordage. 



DracSBna and Cordyline, Dkagon-Trees, two or three species, orna- 

 ments of choice consei-vatories, cult, for their foliage. 



A16e angulkta, A. varieg^ta, and other Aloes, with very thick and 

 fleshy 2-ranked leaves crowded or imbricated at the ground, sending up a slen- 

 der scape, bearing a spike or raceme of tubular flowers ; in conservatories. 

 * * Fromcoated bulbs, sending up leaves and scapes. 



LachenUia tricolor; tender bulb from Cape of Good Hope; with 

 lanceolate soft leaves blotched with purple, and a raceme of small, rather sin- 

 gular than handsome, greenish-purple and yellow flowers, its erect divisions 

 connivent, the three interior longer. 



Calochdrtus, Cyclobdthra, Brodi^a, and Tritelfeia, handsome 



flowered bulbs, chiefly from California and Oregon, hardly any quite hardy N. 



1. TEILLItJM, THREE-LEAVED NIGHTSHADE, "WAKE ROBIN, 

 BIRTHROOT. (Name fh)m Latin trilix, triple, the parts throughout being 

 in threes.) Low stem irom a short tuber-like rootstock (Lessons, p. 42, fig. 67), 

 bearing a whorl of three green conspicuously netted-veined ovate or rhom- 

 boidal leaves, and a terminal flower, in spring. All grow in rich or moist 

 woods, or the last in bogs. 



§ 1. Flower sessile: petals and sepals narroui, the former spatulate, dull purple. 

 T. sessile. From Penn. W. & S. : leaves sessile, often blotched ; petals 

 sessile, ratlier erect, turning greenish, long persisting. 



T. recurvitum. Only W. ; differs in having the leaves narrowed at 

 base into a petiole, sepals refle.xed, and pointed petals with a narrowed base. 



§ 2. Flower raised on a peduncle: petals withering away soon after flowering. 



» Peduncle erect or inclined : leaves rhoinbic-ova/e, sesaile by a wedge-shaped base, 

 abruptly taper-pointed: pttalsflut. 



T. grandifldrum, Gkeat-flowkred White T. From Vermont to 

 Penn. and W., flowering rather late : handsome, the obovate petals 2' - 2^' long, 

 much larger than the sepals, gradually recurving from an erect base, pure white, 

 in age becoming rose-colored. 



T. er6ctum, Pdkfle T. or Bietheoot. Chiefly N. : not so large as the 

 preceding; the dark dull purple petals ovate, widely spreading, little longer 

 than the sepals, 1'- 1|' long. 



Var. Alburn, from New York W. : has greenish white, rarely yellowish 

 petals. 



Var deelin&tum, from Ohio N. W., has peduncle fully half the length of 

 the leaves and horizontal, or in fruit even reflexed ; petals white or pinkish. 



* » Peduncle recurved from the first under the short-petiokd or almost sessile leaves, 

 not longer than the ovary and recurved white petals. 



T. e^rnuum, Nodding T. Commonest E. : leaves rhombic-ovate ; petals 

 oblong, oitate, acute, J' -3' long; styles separate. 



T. Styldsum. Upper country S. : leaves oblong, tapering to both ends; 

 petals oblong, tinged with rose-color, much longer and broader than the sepals ; 

 styles united at base. 



* » » Peduncle nearly erect ; leaves rounded at the base and short-petioled. 



T. niv^le, Dwarf White T. From Ohio N. W. : very early-flowering, 

 2' -4' high; leaves oval or ovate, obtuse; petals oblong, obtuse, pure white, 

 1' long ; styles slender. 



