866 



THE LILY FAMILY. 



Fig. 1042. 



lines long, white inside, purplish outside, 

 especially near the tip. Stamens shorter 

 than the perianth-segments, inserted 

 near their base, the filaments very 

 woolly. Style entire. Capsule 3-valved, 

 with 2 shining black seeds in each cell. 



On heaths and open wastes, in the 

 extreme west of Europe, from north- 

 western Africa to Kerry, in Ireland, and 

 in a single locality in England, near 

 Bourne, in Dorsetshire, possibly intro- 

 duced with the seeds of the Pinaster. 

 Fl. early summer. 



XV. NARTHECIUM. NARTHECIUM. 



A single species, with the grass-like vertical leaves, simple racemes, 

 and persistent yellow perianth of Tqfieldia, but with the bearded fila- 

 ments and simple style of Simethis, differing from both in its minute 

 seeds, with a thread-like point at each end. The consistence of the 

 perianth, firmer than in the generality of Liliacece, shows an approach 

 to the Rush family, with which many botanists associate it. 





1. Bog Narthecium. Narthecium ossifragum, Huds. 



(Fig. 1043.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 535. Bog or Lancashire Asphodel.) 



Rootstock shortly creeping. Stem stiff and erect, 6 inches to a foot 

 high or rarely more. Leaves shorter than the stem and near its base, 

 linear, vertically flattened and sheathing at their base in two opposite 

 ranks as in the Iris family ; the upper ones reduced to short scales. 

 Flowers in a stiff terminal raceme, of a bright yellow. Perianth-seg- 

 ments spreading, lanceolate and pointed, 3 or 4 lines long, green on the 

 back and persistent as in Ornithogalum. Stamens rather shorter, 

 their filaments covered with a white wool. Capsule very pointed, 

 longer than the perianth. 



