Erythronium Americanum. 117
R o ot pyriform-bulbous, invested with loose, brownish tunics,
shrivelled longitudinally, sheathing a bifoliate stem, and buried from
six to nine inches beneath the surface of the ground; subterraneous
portion of the stem white, shining, cylindrical and delicate, sometimes
slightly angular. Stem above ground, sheathing petioles,
and a portion of the base of each leaf, dull-purplish. Leaves destitute
of veins, unequal, one always narrower than the other, lanceolate,
and oval-lanceolate, channelled, slightly undulate, and terminating
in a thick acumination, made by a sudden converging of the
margins. Young plants of the first year have but one leaf, which is
often quite elliptical, (as fig. 3.) next year the plant sends up two
leaves and a flower. Leaves always shining and glabrous, and
maculated by large, irregular spots of reddish-brown or umber-
brown, which give them the appearance of a dingy green. Under
side of the leaves paler and without spots. Peduncle radical, one-
flowered, proceeding from the point of meeting of the two leaves,
about five or six inches long, cylindrical, glabrous and shining,
greenish below, and yellowish towards the summit. Flower consists
of six lanceolate, reflected petals; the three outside yellow,
acuminated, striped and veined with dull brownish-red; the
three inner yellow, without stripes, having a cartilaginous notch on
each side near the base, and a longitudinal furrow running into the
small nectariferous pouch at base. The inner side of all the petals
spotted with long dots of reddish purple, and each has a stamen
better than half its length attached to its base. Filaments broad, comis
rj.
41
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V O L . I .