LILIACEJE. 



845 



Berry of a bluish-black colour. Some- 

 times, but rarely, there is a fifth leaf, 

 with the addition of a fifth to each of 

 the parts of the flower. 



In woods and shady places, dis- 

 persed over Europe and Russian 

 Asia, from the Mediterranean to the 

 Arctic Circle, but not generally very 

 common. Scattered over several parts 

 of Britain, but usually very local. FL 

 spring or early summer. 



Fig. 1015. 



II. SOLOMON-SEAL POLYGONATUM. 



Stems annual, erect and leafy, with a thick horizontal roots tock. 

 Leaves parallel-veined. Fiowers axillary, drooping. Perianth tubular, 

 shortly 6-cleft. Stamens 6, inserted in the perianth. Ovary 3-celled, 

 with 2 ovules in each cell. Styles slender, with an entire stigma. 

 Fruit a small berry. 



A small genus, spread over the northern hemisphere without the 

 tropics, easily known by its foliage and inflorescence. 



Leaves whorled, narrow 1. Whorled S. 



Leaves alternate. 



Flowers usually several in each axil. Filaments hairy . . 2. Common S. 



Flowers 1 or rarely 2 in each axil. Filaments glabrous . 3. Angular S. 



1. Whorled Solomon-seal. Polygonatum verticillatum, All. 



(Fig. 1016.) 



(Convallaria, Eng. Bot. t. 128.) 



Stem about 2 feet high. Leaves numerous, in whorls of 3, 4, or 5, 

 narrow-lanceolate, 2 to 3 inches long, of a bright green. Flowers 

 usually several in each axil, on short branching peduncles or rarely 

 solitary. Perianth about 4 lines long, white, with greenish tips. Berries 



