662 MELANTRACE,E veratrum 



grass-like leaves and perfect, polygamous or dioecious flowers 

 in terminal racemes, panicles or umbels. Perianth of 6 distinct 

 or nearly distinct mostly persistent segments. Stamens 6, 

 borne on the base of the perianth- segments. Anthers small, 

 2-celled or confluently 1-celled, cordate or reniform, mostly 

 extrorsely dehiscent. Ovary 3-celled, superior or partly inferi- 

 or, with few to numerous anatropous or amphitropous ovules 

 in each cell. Styles 3, distinct or more or less united. Fruit 

 a mostly septicidal few- to many-seeded capsule. Seeds com- 

 monly appendaged. Embryo small, in copious albumen. 



* Leaves not rigid nor equitant : flowers usually polygamous : anth- 

 eas 1-celled, peltate after opening. 



1 Veratrum Stems tall and stout, from a thick rootstock: leaves broad, 



strongly nerved and plicate. 



2 Stenauthella Stem erect, from a coated bulb : leaves linear, keeled : 



flowers in panicled racemes : perianth nodding, its segments acuminate, 

 without glands. 



3 Zygadenus Stem erect, from a coated bulb : leaves linear : inflorescence 



racemose or subpaniculate : perianth erect, the segments not acumin- 

 ate, glandular at base- 



* * Flowers perfect, on bracteolate pedicels in a simple raceme on 

 an equitant-leafy stem from a creeping rootstock: anthers 2-celled, 

 introrse : seeds numerous. 



4 Tofieldia Flowers involucrate with 3 scarious united bractlets: fila- 



ments naked; style short: capsule ovate, 3-beaked: seeds horizontal, 

 not caudate. 



5 Abama Bractlets linear : filaments woolly : style none : capsule oblong, 



attenuate upward: seeds ascending, caudate at each end. 



* * * Stems stout, very leafy, from a thick rhizome: leaves very 

 narrow, rigid and rough-margined : flowers perfect, on naked pedicels 

 in a simple dense raceme. 



6 Xerophyllum Flowers white, on long pedicels : segments 5-7-nerved : 



seeds few, not appendaged. 



1 VERATRUM L. Sp. 1044. 



Tall perennial herbs with thick rootstocks, broad strongly vein- 

 ed plicate leaves and rather large flowers in a terminal pubescent 

 panicle, the lower flowers mostly staminate only Perianth of 6 

 distinct similar segments. Stamens free, with subulate filaments 

 and cordate confluently 1-celled anthers that are peltate after 

 opening. Ovary sessile, 3-celled. Styles distinct, stigmatic at 

 the apex. Capsule membranaceous, 3-beaked by the persistent 

 diverging styles, septicidal to^the base. Seeds several in each 

 cell, ascending, compressed and margined or winged, with close 

 thin whitish testa. 



V. virida Ait. Hort. Kew. iii, 422. ^Sterns stout, 2-7 feet high, very 

 leafy: leaves broadly elliptical and acute, or the upper ones lanceolate and 

 acuminate. 3-9 inches long : branches of the simple panicle slender, more 

 or less drooping: bracts foliaceous, lanceolate, usually nearly equalling the 





