322 



MELANTHACEjE. 



Streptopus. 



7. STREPTOPUS. Mickx.fi. 1. p. 200; Endl. gen. 1180. TWISTED-STALK. 



[ From the Greek, sircptos, twisted, and pons, foot ; there being a peculiar twist in the pedicels.] 



Hekorima, Itaf., Kunth. 



Perianth 6-leaved, campanulate at the base ; the leaves spreading or recurved, the 3 interior 

 carinate. Stamens 6, inserted at the base of the segments : filaments very short : anthers 

 sagittate, innate, extrorse. Ovary 3-celled, with many anatropous ovules in a double row in 

 each cell : style single, tapering : stigma simple, obtuse. Berry 3-celled. Seeds numerous, 

 imbricated, oblong, many-ribbed, without a strophiolc. Embryo cylindrical, next the hilum. 

 Albumen firm and fleshy. — Perennial herbs, with a horizontal creeping rhizoma. Stems 

 forked. Leaves clasping. Peduncles axillary, 1 - 2-flowered, geniculate and contorted 

 near the middle. Flowers nodding. 



1. Streptopus amplexifolius, DC. Smooth Twisted-stalk. 



Leaves oblong-ovate, glaucous underneath, the margin naked ; pedicels elongated, distorted 

 and geniculate above the middle ; sepals reflexed ; anthers with a long acumination, entire ; 

 stigma undivided, truncate. — DC.Jl. Fran. 3. p. 174, and in Red. Lil. t. 259. S. distortus, 

 Michx.fi. I. p. 200 ; Torr.fi 1. p. 353 ; Bigel. fl. Bost.p. 131 ; Beck, hot. p. 359 ; Hook, 

 fi. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 173. t. 188 A. ; Kunth, enum. 4. p. 205. S. amplexifolius, var. Americanus, 

 Schult. syst. 7. p. 31 1 ; Gray in ami. lyc. N. Yoi'k, 3. p. 232. Uvularia amplexifolia, Linn, 

 sp. 304 ; Pers. syn. 1. p. 360. 



Stem about two feet high, smooth, terete, once or twice forked. Leaves 2-4 inches long, 

 acuminate, remarkably clasping so as to appear almost perfoliate, very smooth, many-nerved. 

 Pedicels 1 - 2 inches long, distorted and furnished with a minute bract or callosity above the 

 middle, and sometimes forked there ; each division bearing a flower, and one of them distorted. 

 Perianth greenish white ; the segments linear- lanceolate, gibbous at the base. Filaments 

 short : anthers sagittate, with a long tapering entire point. Ovary ovoid, sessile : style rather 

 stout : stigma simple. Berry oblong, about half an inch in length, scarlet. Seeds about 12 

 in each cell, in a double row, obovoid-oblong, strongly ribbed. 



Swamps and deep shady woods : rare. Fairfield, Herkimer county (Dr. Hadley) ; near 

 Utica (Dr. Gray); Oriskany, and on Mount Marcy (Dr. Knieskern). Fl. June. Fr. August. 

 The European plant seems to be identical with ours. 



2. Streptopus roseus, Michx. Rose Twisted-stalk. 



Leaves ovate-oblong, ciliate on the margin, green on both sides ; pedicels less than twice 

 the length of the flower, slighily geniculate near the middle ; sepals spreading ; anthers 2-cleft 

 at the summit; stigma 3-cleft. — Michx. fl. I. p. 201. t. 18 ; Pursh,fl. I. p. 232; Ell. sk. 1. 

 p. 392 ; Nutt. gen. 1 . p. 224 ; Bigel.fi. Bost. p. 132 ; Torr.fi. 1 . p. 352 ; Beck, hot. p. 359 ; 

 Hook. fi. Bor.-Am. 2. p. 173. t. 188. B. Uvularia rosea, Pers. syn. 1. p. 360 ; Bot. mag. 

 t. 1489. Hekorima dichotoma, Raf. in N. Y. med. rep. 5. p. 350 ; Kunth, enum. 4. p. 204. 



