Nat. Ord. Liliac^b. 
DOG-TOOTHED YIOLET. 
Erythronium Americanmn. 
“ And spotted Adders-tongue witli drooping bell, 
Greeting the new-born spring.” 
N rich black mould, on the low banks of creeks and open 
woodlands, large beds of these elegant lilies may be 
seen piercing the softened ground in the month of April; 
the broad lanceolate leaves are beautifully clouded with 
purple or reddish brown, or sometimes with milky white. Each 
bulb of the second year’s growth produces two leaves, and between 
these rises a round naked scape, (or flower stem), terminated by a 
drooping yellow bell. The unfolded bud is striped with lines of 
dark purple. A few hours of sunshine and warm wind soon expands 
the flower, which is composed of six coloured sepals,* recurved 
which form a lily-like turbaned flower; each segment grooved, and 
spotted at the base, with oblong purplish brown dots. The outer 
surface of the sepals are marked with dark lines. The stamens are 
* Sepals are the leaves of the calyx; in liliaceous flowers the calyx and corolla being not obviously distin¬ 
guishable, the name perianth is often applied to the whole; but really there are three sepals the outer circle, 
and three petals—the inner circle—to call them all sepals is incorrect.—P rof. Hincks. 
II 
