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3. Brythkonium mesochoreum Knerr, Midland College Monthly, 2: 
5. 1891. 
Corm ovoid, 5 — 10 lines high, producing no offshoots, the new corm 
forming at or within the base of the old one; stems 4 — 12 inches high, 
leaves linear-oblong or narrowly oblong, not mottled, 4 — 10 inches long, 
3 — 12 lines wide, more or less folded; flowers white, with a lavender 
tint, 1 — 2 inches long; perianth-segments not recurved; style slender, 
stigmas recurved; capsule obovoid, 6 — 18 lines high. 
This plant grows on upland prairie soil. The writer collected this 
species at various times in Decatur county, Iowa, and Harrison county, 
Missouri. In these localities the species was very common. Flowering 
specimens were found as early as the tenth of March and none were col- 
lected in April. No flowerless forms were seen. The species also occurs 
in Nebraska and Kansas. 
Britton, N. L. and Brown, A. Illustrated Flora, Vol. 1, p. 421, 1896. 
Fitzpatrick, T. J. and M. F. L. Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Sciences, 
1808, Vol. G, p. 108, 1899. 
Britton, N. L. Manual, p. 2G7, 1901. 
5. QUAMASIA Raf. Am. Mon. Mag. 2: 265. 1818. 
Scapose herbs, with membranous-coated bulbs, with linear basal 
leaves, and blue, purple, or whitish bracted flowers disposed in a terminal 
raceme. Perianth-segments six, separate, equal, spreading, 3 — 7-nerved, 
persistent. Pedicels with a joint at the base of the flower. Stamens with 
filiform filaments which are inserted at the bases of the perianth-seg- 
ments; anthers oblong to linear-oblong, versatile, introrse. Ovary ses- 
sile, 3-celled; ovules many; style filiform, stigma 3-lobed. Capsule oval, 
3-angled, loculicidal, with shining black seeds. 
1. Quamasia esculenta (Ker-Gawl.) Coville. Wild Hyacinth. 
Scilla csculcnta Ker-Gawl. Bot. Mag. 38. t. 1574. 1813. 
Flwblcngium esculentum Nutt. ; Ker-Gawl. Bot. Mag. 38, t. 1574. 1813. As syn- 
onym. 
Lemotrys hyacintliina Baf. FI. Tell. 3 : 51. 183G. 
Scilla frascri A. Gray, Man. Ed. 2, 4G9. 185G. 
Camassia fraseri Torr. Pac. R. R. Rep. 4 : 147. 1857. 
Quamasia hyacintliina Britton in Britt, and Brown 111. FI. 1 : 423. 189G. 
Quamasia csculcnta Coville, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 11 : G5. 1897. 
Bulb ovoid, edible, one to two inches long, outer coat blackish; scape 
1 — 2 feet high, slender, occasionally bearing one or two short linear 
scabrous leaves; basal leaves narrowly linear, acuminate, shorter than 
the scape; raceme open, 3 — 8 inches long, becoming longer in fruit; 
flowers few to many; pedicels slender, 6 — 10 lines long, about the length 
of the long-acuminate bracts and the perianth-segments; perianth-seg- 
ments narrowly oblong, 3 — 5-nerved, blue or whitish; stamens included; 
capsule about 4 lines high, somewhat thicker, the valves transversely 
veined. 
This species prefers moist soil in grassy places or in open woods near 
streams. . The flowers appear in April and May. The range is given as 
from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, south to Georgia, Alabama and Texas. 
Type locality supposed to be near St. Louis, Missouri. 
