Obdeb 149.— MELANTHAOEjE. TlQ 



Ga. Lvs. shorter and broader than in No. 2. St. 2 to 5f high. Pla. very open, 

 5" diam., sometimes all sterile. Jl. (Melanthium monoioum Walt.) 

 4 V. angustifdlium Ph. Gbass-leaved Teeatkum. Lvs. narrowly linear, 

 fiat, very long, lowest obtuse, upper ones diminishing to subulate bracts ; fls. in a 

 slender panicle of racemes, those of the terminal raceme (except a few of the 

 highest) perfect and fertile, those of the lateral racemes mostly sterile ; segments 

 narrowly lanceolate, subulate, acuminate. — A very slender, grass-like species, in 

 ■woods, W. States to the Mts. of Car. Stem. 3f high, with greenish-white flowers. 

 Leaves 1 — 2f by 2 — 3'', half-clasping. Panicle l^f long, pedicels shorter than 

 the flowers, each with a very minute bract. June, July. (Stenanthium, Gray.) 



4. AMIAN'THIUM, Gray. Fly-poison. (Gr. d/i/ovrof, pure, immac- 

 ulate ; dv&og ; alluding to the wliiljp flowers.) Flowers t^ ; perianth 

 segments scarcely united at base, petaloid, spreading, sessile and with- 

 out glands ;. stam. 6, hypogynous, as long as the segments ; anthers 

 reniform ; ovaries 3, more or less united ; caps. 3-lobed, 3-partible ; car- 

 pels follicular, 1 — 4-seeded ; testa of the seeds loose, at length fleshy. — 

 Herbs with scapiform stems, grass-like leaves, and a raceme of numerous, 

 white, long-pediceled fl«., turning green with age. i, 



1 A. musccetosicuni Gray. St. bulbous ; lvs. fled, lovjer broad-linear, obtuse, up- 

 per reduced to bracts ; rao. simple ; segments oblong, obtuse, shorter than the sta- 

 mens ; pedicels filiform ; carpels distinct above ; sty. divergent ; seeds ovoid, red. 

 — Shady swamps, N. J., Penn. and Southern States. Stem 1 — 2f high. Leaves 

 mostly radical, about If long. Raceme 2 to 4', rarely longer, dense-flowered, 

 pedicels 6 — 9" long. Perianth and stamens white, the latter rather the longest. 

 Carpels )mited only at base, the sumniits horn-like and diverging. Seeds rather 

 large, scarlet-red when ripe. Apr. — Jn. (Helonias erythrosperma Mx.) 



2 A. angustifdlium Gray. St. slender, scarcely bulbous; lvs. narrowly linear, 

 tapering to a long, acute point ; rao.^imple ; Sep. oval, acutish, scarcely longer than 

 the stamens; sty. filiform, contiguous; seeds linear. — Damp pine ■woods. Car. to 

 (Bainbridge, Ga., and) Pla. St. 2 to 3f high. Lvs. 9 to 18' long, 2 to 3" wide, 

 somewhat keeled. Eao. 3 to 6' long, 1' diam. Ped. ascending. Antli. yellow, 

 twice smaller than in No. 1. Plant of a deep green. Apr. — Jn. 



5. SCHiEHOCAU'LON, Gray. (Gr. axolvog, a rush, Kav?.6g, caulis.) 

 Perianth herbaceous, of 6 linear-oblong, suberect, persistent sepals ; 

 stamens 6, hypogynous, much exserted, with large, reniform, 1-celled 

 anthers; ovaries 3, slightly conjoined; stigmas 3. — Herb bulbous, 

 acaulescent, glabrous, with the lvs. all radical, very long and narrow, 

 sedge-like, and a very slender scape. Fls. in a slender spike. 



S. gr^cile Gray. Sandy soila, Ga. and Fla. Scapes 2 to 3f high, lvs. half as 

 long. Spike 2 to 4', with pale green fls. Fr. yet unknown. Apr., May. 



6. XEROPHYL'LUffl, Mx. (Gr. ^rjpog, dry, (jivXXov, leaf) Flow«rs 

 ^ ; leaflets of the perianth oval, spreading, petaloid, sessile, and with- 

 out glands ; stamens 6, filaments dilated and contiguous at base ; ovary 

 subdobous ; styles 3, linear, revolute ; capsule subglobous, 3-lobed, 3- 

 celled, cells 2-seeded. — Herbs with numerous dry, setaceous leaves, the 

 lower longer, rosulately reclined, the upper gradually reduced. Rac. 

 simple, with white, showy fls. 



X. asphodeloides Nutt. Sandy plains, N. J. to Car. St. 3 to 5f high, very 

 leafy. Radical lvs. If long, very narrow, crowded and csespitous. Pis. in a long, 

 dense, showy raceme. Segm. spreading 5", obtuse. Pedicels 1" or more long, 

 braotless at base, but with 2 braotlets above the base. Jn. 



7. HELO'KIAS, L. (Gr. iAof, a marsh ; where some species grow.) 

 Flowers i^ ; perianth 6-parted, spreading, petaloid, the segments sessile. 



