HEXANDRIA TRIGYXIA 233 



tin* at summit, ami opening on the inner side. Seeds imbricated, linear-oblong, 

 coated and margined by a whitish cellular membrane, which is compressed, 

 lance-ovate, and obliquely acuminate. 



Ilab. Low swampy grounds ; borders of thickets: frequent. Fl. May. /V.July. 



obs. The nerves, in the broad elliptic leaves, have some resemblance to the 

 meridian lines in a map of the globe. The root of this plant is said to posses* ac- 

 tive properties ; and to produce violent effects, if taken internally. It has been 

 frequently asserted, in the public prints, that it will effectually destroy Cock- 

 roaches; but my experience does not confirm the statement. The infusion if 

 sometimes used, in popular practice, as a lotion, for cutaneous diseases. Two 

 additional species are enumerated in the U. States, 



186. HELONIAS. L. AWfc Gen. 346. 

 [Supposed from the Greek, llelos, a marsh ; the place of growth of some species.] 



Flowkhs sometimes dioicous ; perianth corolla-like, deeply 6-parted, 

 persistent; segments without glands, sessile, (h x ary superior ; styles 



distinct, persistent. Capsule 3-horned, 3-celled ; cells mostly i'ew- 

 * ceded* 



Herbaceous : leaves chiefly radical, sublinear, often gramineous, and sheathing 

 at l>asc ; flowers in a terminal simple raceme. Nat. Ord. 213. LindL Melan- 



YHACEJB. 



% 



1. HI nioicA, Pursh. Scape leafy ; leaves lanceolate, the radical ones 

 ubovate-lanceolate ; raceme dioicous, somewhat spiked, the summit 

 nodding at fust ; pedicels short, without bracts; segments of the peri- 

 anth linear. Beck, Bot. p. 367. 

 If. lutea. Ait. Kew. 2. p. 330, LindL Ency. p. 292. 

 Veratrum Iuteum. Willd. Sp. 4. p. 897. J'ers. Syn. 1./*. 897. JifuhL 

 Catal.p. 94. Jfutt. Gen. I. p. 234. 



Dioicous Helonias, Vulgo — BlazingStar. Devil's bit. 



Plant yellowish green, glabrous. Root perennial, thick, truncate or pra?morse. 

 Scape 1 to 2 feet (the pistillate ones about 3 feet) high^suleate-striate. Radical 

 leaves 3 to 6 or8 inches long, and half an inch to an inch \vidc«oblanceolatc. often 

 somewhat spatulate, rather obtuse, attenuated nearly to a potiole at base ; those 

 +x> the scape gradually smaller as they ascend, linear-lanceolate, acute. Flowers 

 dioicous, in a simple spike-like raceme 6 to 12 inches in length. Staminate ra- 

 pems slender, flaccid, mostly nodding onrecurved, ochroleucous. Perianth shorter 

 than the stamens; segments very narrow, linear, obtuse ; pedicels 1 fourth to half 

 an inch long, colored. Ovary mostly wanting. Pistillate raceme spiked, stouter, 

 and mostly erect. Perianth about as long as the ovary, greenish white ; segments 

 linear, obtuse. Stamens short, abortive. Oran/ trigonous-ovoid, greenish ; stigma* 

 subscssile, clavate, fleshy, spreading, or recurved. Capsule about half an inch 

 long, obovoid-oblong, tapering at base, 3-furrowcd at apex, opening at summit, 

 erect, or appresscd to the rachis, on short angular clavate pedicels. Seeds nu- 

 merous, oblong, slightly coated and Irregularly margined by a white compressed 

 cellular membrane. 

 Hub. Woodlands, and meadows : frequent. Fl. May— June. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. I have occasionally observed perfect flowers on the staminate racemes ; 

 and sometimes 4 stigmas on the ovary,— in which cases the capsule was 4-celled, 

 and 4-furrowed at apex. This plant seems to be intermediate between Veratrum 

 and Helonias ; and, as Dr. Torre y remarks, M should perhaps be the type of a 

 ■tw genu*." The root is considerably bitter.— affording a tonic of some value. 



20* 



