384 MELANTIIACEJ3. 



ones lanceolate, the others ovate. Native of Persia. Flowers mostly yellow, 

 fragrant, appearing m Afiil. 



Tribe 4. ALOINE.E. 



Fruit 3-celied, 3-valved. with a loculicidal dehiscence, opening at the summit. 

 Seed* numerous.— Sot UuUjqus. 



17. YUOCA, Linn. Adam's Needle. 



Jucca, the Indian name. 



Perianuh inferior globular or bell-shaped. Stamens 

 with awl-shaped filaments. Style none. Capsule oblong, 

 with 3 obtuse angles 3-celled, many-seeded, opening at the 

 summit. Seeds flat. — Evergreen perennials, with narrow 

 filamentaccous radical leaves , and a scape of numerous white Jiowers, 

 in a terminal panicled raceme or spike. 



1. Y. angustifolia, L. Narrow -leaved Yucca. 



Leaves long linear, filamentose on the margins, mucronatc. Aug. Native of the 

 Southern States. Leaves 10 to 15 inches long, }/, to % inch wide, with white 

 threads along the margin. Panicled sp€:e terminal, on a scape 2 to 3 feet high, 

 many-flowered. Flowers globular-hell-shaped, white. 



2. Y. filamentosa, L. Adam's Needle. Silk-grass. 



Leaves lancc-liuear, filamentose, mucronate; 3 inner sepals broad-lanceolate; 

 capsule large oblong-obovatc. July, Aug. Native of the Southern States. Leaves 

 12 to 18 inches long, 1 tc 2 inches wide, very filamentose on the margin. Scape 3 

 to 5 feet high, beading a terminal panicle of numerous white fragrant flowers. 

 Perianth globose. Seniors recurved, spreading. 



Order 12G. MELAItfTHACEIE.— Melantliium Family. 



JLrbs, iuilk perfect or polygamous and regular G-mercus and 6-ayidrous flowers, 

 the pctalo id. perianth free, from the'i-cclkd ovary, extrorse anthers, and 3 (sometimes 

 united) more or less distinct styles. 



Suborder i. UVULAPJEiE. The Bellwort Family. 



Perianth soon deciduous, the divisions distinct, petaloid. 

 Styles united at the base or throughout. Fruit a 3-cclled 

 few-seeded berry or loculicidal capsule. — Stems from small 

 perennial rootstocks and fibrous roots, ovate or lanceolate membra- 

 naceous sessile or clasping leaves, and perfect flowers on solitary or 

 i -flowered peduncus. 



1. UVULARIA, Linn. Bellwort. 



Name " from the flowers hanging on the uvula, or palate.'' 



Perianth nearly bell-shaped, lily-like, the sepals spatu- 



