; See 
468 THE LILY FAMILY. [Tofieldia. — 
XVII. TOFIELDIA. TOFIELDIA. 
Herbs, with creeping rootstocks, grass-like, chiefly radical leaves, 
vertically flattened and sheathing on opposite sides as in Jridew, and 
small yellowish green flowers in terminal spikes. Perianth of 6 dis- 
tinct segments persistent round the capsule. Stamens inserted at their 
base. Ovary 3-lobed, with 3 distinct styles. Capsules small, 3-lobed, 
with several.small oblong, brown seeds. 
A small genus, chiefly North American, extending along the Andes 
to tropical America, and westward across northern Asia to Europe. 
1. T. palustris, Huds. (fig. 1058). Scottish A sphodel.—Radical leaves 
an inch or rarely 1§ inches long. Flower-stem about 6 inches high, 
with 1 or 2 short leaves at its base, and terminated by a little 
globular or ovoid spike or head; the perianth not quite a line long. 
The very short pedicels are each in the axil of a minute bract, and 
within the bract is a still smaller 2-lobed or 3-lobed one, sometimes 
quite imperceptible, but never placed at the top of the pedicel as in the 
larger species which is common in central Europe. 
In the bogs of northern Europe, Asia, and America, and of the great 
mountain-ranges of central Europe, but always at high latitudes or in 
alpine situations. Not uncommon in the mountains of Scotland and 
northern England, but not found in Ireland. Fl, summer, 
XVIII. COLCHICUM. COLCHICUM. 
Bulbous herbs, with radical leaves, and the large, almost radical, 
long-tubed flowers of Crocus. Stamens 6. Ovary underground, but 
within the tube of the perianth, not below it. Styles 3, very long and 
thread-like. Capsule 3-valved, with many seeds. 
A small genus, chiefly Mediterranean and West Asiatic, with the 
habit of Crocus, but very different stamens, ovary, and styles. 
1. C. autumnale, Linn. (fig. 1059). Common C., Meadow Saffron.—At 
the time of flowering there are no leaves; the brown bulb ending in a 
sheath of brown scales, enclosing the base of the flowers, whose long 
tube rises to 3 or 4 inches above ground, with 6 oblong segments of a 
reddish-purple or rarely white, and near 1$ inches long. Soon after- 
wards the leaves appear and attain in spring a length of 8 or 10 inches 
by about 1 or 1§ inches in breadth. ‘The capsule is then raised to the 
surface of the ground by the lengthening of the peduncle, soon after 
which the leaves wither away. 
In moist meadows, and pastures, over the greater part of Europe, 
but rare in the north, and scarcely extends into Asia. Very abundant 
in some parts of England, rare in Ireland, and naturalised only in 
Scotland. Fl. autunn. 
LXXXVI. JUNCACEA. THE RUSH FAMILY. 
Herbs, usually stiff, with cylindrical or narrow and _ grass- 
like leaves, and small, herbaceous or dry flowers, in terminal or 
apparently lateral clusters or panicles. Perianth regular, dry, 
and calyx-like, of 6 segments. Stamens 6 or rarely 3 only, the 
