WILD FLOWERS OF NEW YORK 



57 



sides, but usually paler beneath, their margins finely ciliate. Flowers 

 purple or rose colored, about one-third of an inch long, slender- 

 peduncled, solitary or two together from the axil of each of the upper leaves 

 on slender peduncles, one-half to i inch long, the peduncle bent or twisted 

 at about the middle; perianth bell-shaped, its six segments lanceolate and 

 pointed, their tips somewhat recurved or spreading. Stamens six, shorter 

 than the perianth. Fruit a globose, red berry about one-third of an inch 

 or less in diameter. 



In moist woods, Newfoundland to Manitoba, Georgia and Michigan. 

 Flowering in May and June. 



The Clasping-leaved Twisted-stalk (Streptopus amplexi- 

 f o 1 i u s (Linnaeus) De Candolle) is similar but the leaves are clasping 

 around the stem at their bases, glaucous or whitish beneath and the flowers 

 are greenish white in color. 



The Hairy Disporum (Disporum lanuginosum (Michaux) 

 Nichols.) resembles the Twisted-stalks in manner of growth, but the leaves 

 are somewhat narrower and not clasping and the flowers are solitary or 

 few together at the ends of the branches, one-half to three-fourths of an 

 inch long and greenish in color. It is found in woods in western New York. 



Hairy Solomon's-seal 



Polygonatum biflorum (Walter) Elliott 



Plate 21 



Stems slender, smooth, arching, often zigzag above from a thick, 

 horizontal, jointed rootstock, bearing the raised orbicular scars of the stems 

 of former years; stem naked below, above bearing six to many opposite 

 or nearly opposite, oval or ovate leaves, 2 to 4 inches long, one-half to 2 

 inches wide, acute or acuminate at the apex, narrowed or obtuse at the 

 base, pale or pubescent beneath, glabrous above, the upper leaves common ly 

 narrower than the lower; flowers in drooping, axillary clusters of one to 

 four (often two), perianth greenish or greenish yellow, tubular, one-third 

 to one-half of an inch long, with six short lobes; the six stamens shorter 

 than the tube, their anthers sagittate and filaments minutely roughened. 

 Fruit a dark blue, pulpy berry about one-fourth of an inch in diameter. 



