Order 149.— MKLANTHACEjE. Ill 



Leavea almost acuminate, rounded at base. Anthers f long. May. — Readily 

 distinguished by the smooth petals. 



3 TJ. sessilifolia L. "Wild Oats. I/us. sessile, lance-oval, glaucous beneath ; caips. 

 tUped, owaZ-triangular. — If Can. and U. S. A common species, found in woods 

 and in grass lands. Stem smooth, slender, 6 — 10' high, dividing at the top into 2 

 branches, one bearing leaves only, the other, leaves and a flower. Leaves smooth 

 and delicate, dark green above, paler beneath, 1 — IJ' long. The flower is cylin- 

 dric, near an inch long, yellowish- white, of 6, long, linear petals. May. 



4 TT. puberula Mx. Jjvs. amplexioaul and rounded at base, oval, of the sa/me 

 shining green both sides, puberulent along the margins, as well as the stem ; peri- 

 anth segm. acute, smooth both sides;, capsule sessile {no stipe), ovoid. — Mts. Va. 

 to Car. St. 8 to 12' high. Fls. yellowish- white, larger than in U. sessilifolia. 



• 

 Order CXLIX, MELANTHACE-^. Melanths. 



Merhs perennial, sometimes bulbous, often poisonous, with parallel-veined leares, 

 perianth double, regular, persistent, of 6 consimilar, green or colored segments, 

 stamens 6, with extrorse anthers, 3 distinct styles and a free, 3-celled ovary, capsule 

 3-eelled, 3-partible or septicidal, and seeds few or many with a thin seed coat. 

 Figs. 61, 62, 464. 



Genera 30, upecies 180, rather generally diffused in northern countries. 



Properiien.^-The order is generally pervaded by drastic, narcotic and poisonous qualities, most 

 powerful in Veratrutn and Colchicum. The conns and seeds of the latter are the most impor- 

 tant medicinal products of the order. Their virtue is due to an alkaline prineiplo called vera- 

 tria^ which is round in this genus, as ■well as in most of the others. 



GENERA. 



§ Anthers l:cel]ed, extrorse, cordate, becoming peltate by opening. (') 



* Inflorescence paniculate, or a raceme somewhat branched at base, (a) 



a Sepals glandular at base inside, clawed. Stamens perigynous Melaxtuium. 1 



a Sepals glandular at base inside, clawed. Stamens hypogynous Zigadeeus. 2 



a Sepals not gland bearing. Stamens perigynous Vekatrum. 3 



* Inflorescence raceraous, with white flowers. Stamens perigynous A-mzaktihum. 4 



* Inflorescence spicato, with green flowers. Stamens hypogynous Schjenocaulon. 5 



§ Anthers 2-celled, extrorse. Capsule loculicidal. Flowers racemous. (b) 



b Flowers jierfect. Filaments dilated at base. Ovary cells 2-ovuled Xbropuylldm. 6 



b Flowers perfect. Filaments filiform. Ovary cells CO -ovuled IIt:lokias. T 



b Flowers dicECious, white. Stem leafy Cham jslieium. S 



§ Aiithers^2-celled,iutrorse. Capsule septicidal. Flowers racemous. (c) 



C Stamens 6. Flowers greenish or yellowish, 9 to 40 Tofieldia. 9 



C Stamens 9 to 12. Flowers deep ye'llow, G to 9, mostly G Pleea. 10 



1. fflELAN'THIUM, Gronov. (Gr. jutAaf, black, avOog, flower; a 

 false name if applied to the yellowish flowers.) Flowers moDoeciously 

 polygamous ; periantli rotate, 6-parted, segments oblong, acutish, cor- 

 date or auricled, and with 1 or 2 glandular, brownish spots at base ; 

 the claws bearing the stamens ; ovary often abortive, capsule exserted, 

 subovoid, trifid at the summit and tipped with 3 persistent styles ; seeds 

 broadly winged. — St. erect, thickened at base, bearing an open pyrami- 

 dal panicle of simple racemes. Lvs. lanceolate, varying to linear. 



M. VirgfnicTim L. "Wet meadows and margins of swamps, 'Wis. to N. T. and 

 Fla. St. 3 to 4f high, leafy. Lvs. about a, foot long, 6'' to 2' wide, sessile, on a 

 contracted and subolasping base. Pis. about 8" broad, on short pedicels, arranged 

 in simple, alternate racemes, and together constituting a pyramidal panicle 10 to 

 15' in length. Lower fls. generally sterile. Jl., Aug. 

 p. HYBEiDUM. Lower lvs. lanceolate and lance-oval. — A larger growth. fM. 

 hybridum R. & S.) 



2. ZIGADE^NUS, Mx. Zigadene. (Gr. fsiiyof, a pair, ddTyv, a gland.) 

 Perianth deeply 6-parted, spreading, colored, each segment with 2 glands 



