220 HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA 



about as long as the stamons ; stigma thick, 2-lobed 1 glandular. [Capsule oblone 

 3-celled, 3-valved, (indehiscent, Litidl.). Seeds numerous, ovate, an-ular \A»rt' 

 Ell. Torr.} ° * ac,c • 



Hob. Open, grassy woodlands : common. Fl. 31ay— Oct. Fr. 



Obs. I have not had an opportunity to examine the fruit of this. Authors dcscrih> 

 the genus as having a 2-valvcd eputhe ; bull can perceive nothing about our plant 

 entitled to thai name. Two other species are enumerated in the U. States. 



174. POLYGONATUM, Desf. Mttt. Gen. 331. 

 [Greek, Polys, many, and Gonu, a knee, or joint; from its many-jointed root.] 



Perianth tubular, cylindrical, 6-cleft. Stamens inserted near the sum. 

 rait of the tube. Ovary superior. Berry subglobosc, 3-ccllcd- cell" 

 2-seedcd. ' 



Herbaceous : stems simple, terete, or angular; leaves alternate, simple, entire 

 with parallel nerves ; Cowers axillary. Nat. Ord. 24«J. Lindl. Smjlaceaj. 



1. P. mcitiflorvm, Desf. Stem mostly terete, smooth ; leaves ovate- 

 lanceolate, or lancc-oval, amplcxicaul ; peduncles 1- 2- or manv-ilowor 

 ed. Beck, Bot. p. 359. J 



.llso ? P. biflorum, and P. Iatifolium, of .Authors. 

 Convallaria multillora. WiUd. Sp. 2. p. 162. Mx.Am. Up. 202. Per, 

 Syn. \.p. 373. Ait. A'ew. 2. p. 280. Muhl. Catal. p, 35. Bitrel. Bosi 



/'• I3 ?^, ^ ^" F '• 1 • /> • 356 • Ejusd ' Com P-P- 1& 5. Eat. Man. p.m. 

 Also ? C. Polygonatum. Muhl. /, c. 



.Man-i-fiowered Poiygonatum. Vulgd— Solomon's Seal. 

 Gall. Sceau de Salomon. Germ. Die Weisswurz. Hisp. Sello de Salomon. 

 Hoot perennial, fibrous. Rhizoma (or subterraneous stem) large, fleshy, creep' 

 ing horizontally, with the cicatrices of former stems on its upper side. Stem 1 or 

 2 to 4 feet high, a little curved and leaning, terete, or sometimes aneular, striate 

 glabrous. Leaves 2 to 5 or 6 inches long, and 1 to 2 or 3 inches wide, wring from' 

 lancc-oblong to oval and lance-ovate, acute, smooth, sessile, and more or less am- 

 Plex.caul Peduncles axillary, half an inch to 2 inches long, compressed, noddin- 

 . "J 3 ', 10 ^r /flowered, with the flowers, when numerous, in pendulous fascicles. 

 pedicels half an inch to an inch long. Perianth greenish white, half an inch to 3 

 quarters in length -.segments a little spreading, greenish. Style rather shorter than 

 the perianth. Berry globose, 1 third to near half an inch in diameter, dark blue, 

 or bluish black, when mature. 



Ilab. Rich woodlands ; fence-rows, and ditch banks : frequent. Fl June. Fr. Sept. 

 Obs. This plant varies considerably in size, and in the number of its flowers ; 

 and I am now inclined to think that the P. biflorum, of Authors (P. angustifolium, 

 1 urea) -although a pretty constant and obvious variety,-* hardly entiUed to 

 be made a dist.net species. This latter is very common in our wood»ands,-is of 

 smaller growth with narrower leaves, and rarely with more than 2 flowers on the 



fft^KUL %"/*«*>**■ and the Convallaria Polygonum, Muni, (noil 

 1™ ni.T th B0lan,8U, ' ) ^ also P rove «° be nothing more than varieties of the 

 ZTtn^'.J* y K OUng8h0018 ' or Turi ™> o< ^e large luxuriant specimens, are 

 said to be a good substitute, at table, for Asparagus. Two or three additional spe- 

 cics are enumerated m the U. States. 



