MELANTHACE.E. 205 



L. melanocarpa. Desv. Black-fruited Rush. Has a black 

 capsule, a leafy culm, about a foot high, a lax capillary panicle of 

 flowers, and leaves linear-lanceolate and smooth ; woods. 



ORDER 245. MELANTHACEiE. Colchicum Tribe. 



Floral envelope inferior, petal-like, 6 divisions, but sometimes 

 united into a tube at the base ; stamens 6 ; ovary superior, with a 

 3-parted style ; roots fibrous, sometimes fascicled ; leaves sheath- 

 ing, with parallel veins. The plants are pretty widely diffused, 

 all poisonous, and some deadly poisons. 



Most of the species of Melanthium, from which the order takes 

 its name, belong to the Cape of Good Hope, and no one of the 

 4 species found in this country seems to be found in New Eng- 

 land. 



Helonias. L. 6. 3. 



From the Greek for marsh, because some of the species de- 

 light in wet places ; a North American genus of few species ; 8 

 have been introduced into England, and only 1 seems to occur in 

 x^ew England. Corolla 6-parted, spreading ; capsule 3-horned. 



H. dioica. Ph. Blazing Star. Devil's Bit. Unicorn's 

 Horn. About 2 feet high, leafy, terminating in a long raceme of 

 small, whitish, dioecious flowers, somewhat angular culm, with 

 small leaves above, and wider and longer leaves below ; wet situa- 

 tions on hills, Stockbridge, Berkshire County. Is the Veratrum 

 luteum, L. ; root premorse or bitten off at one end apparently, 

 and very bitter. Nuttall. 



Veratrum. L. 6. 3. 



Said to be named from the Latin, truly black, the color of the 

 root ; species mostly American ; only 1 in this State. 



V. viride. Ait. Indian Poke. Itch-weed. Swamp Helle- 

 bore. Grows in moist meadows, and open woods, 2-4 feet 

 high, large and strong stem, large and broad leaves, large panicle 

 of greenish flowers ; a poisonous plant, emetic. The root con- 



