(1860 
N A RTH E'CIUM*. 
Linncan Class and Order. HexaS'Dria f, Monogy'nia. 
.X'atural Order. Junc eve, Dr. R. Brown. — Lindl. Syn. p. 273 ; 
Ini rod. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 270. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 397. — 
Loud. Hurt. Brit. p. 541. — Junci, sect. 4, Juss. Gen. PI. pp. 43 and 
46. — Sin. Gram, of Bot. p. 72 . — Juncales ; sect. Juncin^e; type, 
J u.ncacevE ; Bur.Ontl. of Bot. pp. 403 & 4 16. — Coronaria;, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Calyx none. Corolla ( Perianthium+J (fig. 1.) 
inferior, of 6 strap-spear-shaped, s ir ading, ribbed, permanent 
petals, membranous at the edges ; 3 of them interior ; all finally 
hardened, and converging round the capsule. Filaments (see figs. 
1 & 2.) 6, opposite to, and shorter than the petals, upright, awl- 
shaped, woolly all over, except a small space at the top and bot- 
tom, permanent. Anthers terminal, oblong, converging, smooth ; 
finally twisted. Germen (fig. 3.) superior, oblong, triangular, ta- 
pering upwards into a short conical style. Stigma simple. Capsule 
(see tig 4 ) oblong, tapering, pointed, bluntly triangular, with 3 in- 
termediate furrows, 3 pointed rigid valves, and 3 cells, bearing 
central partitions, which are joined at their base to the short cen- 
tral column. Seeds (fig. 5.) numerous, upright, chaff-like, oblong, 
smooth, each invested with a pale, membranous tunic, tapering, and 
greatly elongated, at each end, equalling the whole capsule in 
length. 
The inferior corolla, of 6 strap-spear-shaped, spreading petals, 
without a calyx ; the woolly filaments ; and the tunicated seeds, 
tapering at each end ; will distinguish this from other genera in 
the same class and order. 
One species British. 
NARTHE'CIUM OSSIFRAGUM. Lancashire Bog-asphodel. 
Spec. Char. Leaves strap-shaped, uniform. Pedicels (partial 
flower-stalks) with one bractea at the base, the other above the mid- 
dle. Stamens much shorter than the corolla. 
Engl. Bot. t 535. — Hook. FI. Lond. t. 139. — Curt. Biit. Entomol. v. iii. t. 
115. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 145. Sni. FI. Brit. v.i. p. 368. Engl. FI. 
v. ii. p. 151. — With. (7ih ed.) v. ii. p. 432. — l.indl. Syn. p.277.— Hook. Bril. Ft. 
p. 158. — JDavies’ Welsh Bot. p. 33. — Purt. Midi. FI. v.i. p. 172. — Reih. FI. 
Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 140. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 103. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 77. — F’l. 
Devon, pp. 59 & 129. — Johnst. FI. of Berw . v. i. p. 78. — Hev G. E. Smith’s PI. 
of S. Kent, p.21. — Walk. FI. of Oxf p. 94. — Winch’s FI. of Northumb. and 
Durham, p. 22.— Perry’s PI. Varvic. SelecUe, p. 30.— Mack. (Fatal. of PI. of 
Irel. p. 33. — Trevelyan on the Vegetation and Temperature of the Faroe Islands, 
p. 6. — Anthericum ossifragum, Einn. Sp. Pi. p.446. — With, (lsted.) v.i. p. 
205. — Lightf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 181. — Abbot's FI. Bedf. p. 77. — Abama ossifra- 
yum, Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 171. — Phalangium Anglicum palustre Jridis 
folio, Ray’s Syn. p. 375. — Asphodelus Lane a. ft rice, John. Gerarde, p. 95. 
Fig. 1. A separate Flower. — Fig 2. One of the Stamens. — Fig. 3. The Ger- 
men, Style, and Stigma.— Fig. 4. The Capsule, invested by the hardened, con- 
verging, permanent petals. — Fig. 5. A Seed. — Figs. 1, 2, & 3, rather larger 
than nature. 
* F'rom narthex, Gr a rod ; probably from the elongated straight raceme of 
flowers. It is remarkable that this word is an anagram of Anthericum, a genus 
with which Einn.'kus united it. It is the same as the Abama of 1 )e Candolle. 
Hooker. — D r. WMiikiiing thinks the name is derived from nurthecion, Gr. a 
medical chest ; alluding to its once supposed virtues, 
t See Galanthus nivalis, f. 33, n. f- t See Galunthus nivalis, f. 33, n. f . 
