•718 Oedeb 149.— MELANTHACEiE. 



above its contracted base ; stamens inserted in contact witH the ovary ; 

 capsule membranous, 3-celled,' many-seeded, septicidal ; seeds scarcely 

 winged. — U St. simple, paniculate above, smooth and glaucous, as well 

 as the linear Ivs. Fls. greenish. 



1 Z. glaberrinnis Mx. Ehizome creeping ; Ivs. linear, channeled, recurved ; pan- 

 icle pyramidal ; bracts ovate, acuminate ; segm. of the perianth acuminate, glands 

 2 on the claw of each. — S. States. St. 2 to 3f high. Lower Ivs. about 10' long, 

 upper ones gradually diminishing, all concave and tapering to a point. Panicle 

 terminal, loose, consisting of many greenish- white fls. Sep. ovate-lanceolate, free 

 from the stamens, the 2' glands orbicular, distinct and conspicuous. Ju. 



2 Z. glaiiou3 Nutt. Si. bulbous, nearly naked; Ivs. shorter than the stem, linear, 

 rather obtuse ; panicle simple ; bracl%ianoeolate, shorter than the pedicels ; seg- 

 ments oval or obovate, obtuse, each with an obcordaie gland. — Sandy shores, Can. to 

 N. Y. and Wis. Stem 10 — 15' high. Leaves glaucous, upper gradually reduced 

 to bracts. Raceme subsimple, sometimes a little compound at base. Flowers 

 few (10 — 20), greenish-whito, on pedicels 1' long, the segments with the 2 glands 

 united. Capsule oblong-ovoid, carpels divergent at apex, 6 — 8-seeded. Jl., Aug. 



3 Z. leimauthoides Gray. El. Jibrozis ; Ivs. linear, flat ; pan. simple, the terminal 

 raceme elongated ; segments obovate, with a glandular spot at base, and longer than 

 the linear styles ; sds. winged at the apex, lanceolate, compressed. — N. J. to La. 

 Stem roundish, 2 — 4f high, the lower leaves about half as long, pals green, acute. 

 Flowers white, on filiform pedicels, finally recurved. Segments of the perianth 

 obtuse, a little shorter than the capillary filaments. July. 



3. VERA^TRUffl, Tourn. False Hellebore. (Lat. vere, atrum, 

 ti'uly black ; alluding to the dark color of the flowers or root.) Flowers 

 by abortion 3 !^ ? j segments of the perianth united at base, petaloid, 

 spreading, sessile and without glands ; stamens 6, shorter than the peri- 

 anth, and inserted on its base ; ovaries 3, united at base, often abortive ; 

 styles short ; capsule 3-lobed, 3-partible, oo-seeded. — Et. Ivs. alternate. 

 Fls. paniculate. 



p stem 6tout and very leafy tliroughout. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate No. 1 



§ Stem slender, nearly naked. — Sepals ubtusish. Leaves oval and lanceolate Nos. 2, 3 



— Sepalii acuminate. Leaves linear No. 4 



1 V. vf ride Ait. Lvs. lance-oval, acuminate ; st. stout and very leafy ; panicle 

 compound, racemous ; bracts oblong-lanceolate, braoteoles longer than the downy 

 pedicels. — Can. to Ga. A large-leaved, coarse- looking plant, of our meadows and 

 swamps. Root large, fleshy, with numerous long fibers. Stem 2 — 4f high, stri- 

 ate and pubescent. Leaves strongly veined and plaited, the lower near a foot 

 long and half as wide, sheathing at the base. Flowers numerous, green, in many 

 axillary (or braoted) racemes, which together form a very large, pyramidal, ter- 

 minal panicle. July. Root emetic and stimulant, but poisonous. (V. album Mx.) 



2 V. Woodii Robbins. Indiana Veeateuii:. Lvs. mostly radical, lanceolate 

 and linear-laneeolate, glabrous, veined and plicate, acute tapering to a long, 

 winged, sheathing petiole; st. or scape terete, tall, erect, with remote, lanoe- 

 linear bracts ; panicle simple, slender, pyramidal, many-flowered ; fls. S 'S , sub- 

 sessile ; segments oblanceolate, sessile (the stamens nearly free and of equal ImgiKj 

 dark brownish-pwrple within. — Woods, Green Co., la.. 111. (Mead) and Iowa (Cous- 

 ens). Root fasciculate. Leaves 10 — 16' long (including the 4 — 8' petiole), 2 — 4' 

 wide. Bracts 1 — 3' long. Scape 3 — 6f high, paniculate J its length. Flowers 

 9" diam., almost black, with red stamens, upper and lower sterile. Ovary oblong, 

 crowned with 3 spreading styles half its length. Seeds compressed, winged with 

 the broad, loose, membranous testa. July. — Tery different from the next. 



3 V. parvifldrum Mx. Lvs. ipostly radical, oval and lance-oval, glabrous, 

 scarcely plicate, contracted at base into winged petioles; stem scape-like, terete, 

 bracted- panicle elongated, very loose, with flliform branches ; fls. dingy green, on 

 fUiform pedicels, segm. lance-spatidaie, unguiculaie, the claws bearing the stamens, 

 which are scarcely half as long. — Blue Ridge, Va. (Miss Carpenter) to the Mts. of 



