18 



Other native species. — Four other species of Veratrum are native to the. 

 United States, all of which are probably poisonous in the same way as 

 the Eastern species just treated of. All but one of these are, however, 

 more or less local in their distribution and need not be considered here. 

 Veratrum califomicum Durand is quite worthy of note. In general 

 appearance it resembles the Eastern species. The flower cluster is less 

 slender and more upright in habit, its flowers are white instead of yel- 

 lowish green, and the floral leaves are longer and narrower. The plant 

 is of frequent occurrence in the mountains of California and northward 

 to British Columbia ; also in Nevada and in the Eocky Mountains from 

 Wyoming to New Mexico. 



LILY OF THE VALLEY FAMILY (CONVALLARIACEAE). 



LILY OF THE VALLEY. 



Convallaria majalis L. 



Other names: May lily; May blossom. (Fig. 4.) 



Description and habitat. — A low, smooth, stemless perennial, with two 



broad, conspicuous leaves and a central 

 scape bearing a number of pretty, sweet- 

 scented Avhite flowers. This plant, so 

 well known in ornamental cultivation, is 

 native to both Europe and the United 

 States, but is found in this country in a 

 wild state only in the higher Alleghany 

 Mountains of Virginia* North Carolina, 

 and Tennessee. In the latter State it 

 grows luxuriantly on the humid western 

 slopes of the Little and Big Frog moun- 

 tains, at an altitude of 3,000 feet. 



Poisonous element. — The active constit- 

 uent is convallamarin, an extremely 

 poisonous crystalline compound with a 

 bitter and afterwards sweetish taste, and 

 a depressing action on the heart like 

 that of the common foxglove (Digitalis 

 purpurea). It is found in all parts of the 

 plant, including the flowers. Few cases 

 of poisoning are attributed to it, but 

 the plant is dangerous on account of the 

 beauty of its flowers. The taste of these, 

 however, is acrid and bitter, and on this 

 account there is much less danger of 

 children eating them. Sheep and goats, 

 it is said, may eat the leaves with impu- 

 nity, but other animals refuse them. 



Symptoms and remedies. — The emetic and purgative actions of the lily 



Fig. 4. — Lily of the valley ( Convallaria 

 majalis), one-third natural size. 



