CONY ALLARIA MULTIFLORA. COMMON
SOLOMON’S-SEAL.
CONVALLARIA multiflora, foliis ovato-ellipticis, altemis, caule terete; pedunculis axillaribus uni-
multifloris; filamentis hirsutis; stylo flexuoso.
CONVALLARIA multiflora. Linn. Sp. PL p. .452. Huds. Angl. p. 147. With. B ot. A rr. ed. 4.
vol. 2. p. 335. Smith Fl. B r it. p . 572. Engl. Bot. t. 2,79- Oeder Fl. Dan.
t. 152. Bull. Herb. t. 309- Lam. Encycl. vol. 4. p. 368. Willd. Sp. P i vol 2
• P- 16»- Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. vol. 3. p. 176. Fl. Gall. Syn. p. 154/ A it. Hort.
Kew. ed. 2. vol. %. p, 280.. B o th Germ. vol. 2. p. 333. \
POLYGONATUM multiflorum. Desfont. in Ann. du Mus. vol. 9 .
POLYGONATUM caule simplici cernuo, foliis ovato-lanceolatis, petiolis multifloris Hall Helv
n. 1243;.
POLYGONATUM. R a iiS yn . p. 263.
Fr. Muguets. Russ. Kuprena.
Class a n d Order. H EX A N D R IA MONOGYNIA.
[N atural Order. SMILACËÆ, B r . ASPARAGI, Juss. ASPARAGEÆ, Decandolle.]
Gen. Char. Perianthium globosum autcylindraceum, sex-den tatum; Stamina sex. Bacca globosa, ante maturita-
tem maculata, tri-locularis, loculis monospermis. Decand.
Gen . Char. Perianth globose or cylindrical, six-dentate ; Stamens six. Berry globose, spotted before it is ripe,
three-celled, the cells monospermous. Decand.
Rad ix horizontalis, crassa, carnosa, nodosa, alba,, hie
illic fibris paucis remotis instructa.
Caulis simplex, pedalis, bipedalis etiam, teres, basi vagi-
nis cylindraceis, fuscis, nervosis munitus, inferne
denudatus, erectus, superne foliosus, curvatus.
Folia bi-triiincialia, subsecunda, altema, ovalo-ell’iptica,
paululum undulata, tenera, nervosa, nervis tribus
dorso prominentibus, basi contracta, seini-
amplexicaulia, supra viridia, subtus glaucescentia.
PeduncuLi axillares, solitarii, ramosi, bi-quinqueflori.
Flores secundi, retrorsum (sen ad latus posterius) spec-
tantes, nutantes, albi, apicibus viridibus.
Perianthium .monopetalum, cylindraceum, tubulo-
Sum, basi incrassata, apice sex-divisa, laciniis
erecto-patentibus, barbatis.
Stamina sex, tubi longitudine, versus ejus medium in-
serta: Filamenta alba, hirsuta, pilis horizontali-
bus, articulatis, Jig. 4. Antheras oblongfe, bi-
loculares, Jig. 2. Pollen sphtericiim.
Ovarium ovatum, subtriangulatum. Stylus staminibus
vix longior, filiformis, flexuosus, albus: Stigma
trigonum, expansum, hirsutum, fig. 6.
Pericarpium: Bacca supera, pendens, sub-globosa,
CEeruleo-nigra, lineis tribus elevatis longitudina-
libus notata, trilocularis, loculis monospermis,
non raro abortivis.
Semina subrotunda, glabra.
Fig. 1. Flower cut open longitudinally. Jig. 2. Stamer
ry and Style, fig . 6. Stigma. Jig. 7. Berry,
■versely, showing but one perfect seed. Jig.
Jig. 7. 8. and 9. more or less magnified.
Root horizontal, thick, fleshy, producing knots or swellings,
white, here and there beset with a few remote
fibres.
Stem simple, one or even two feet high, round, at the base
clothed with brown cylindrical nerved sheaths
below naked, erect, above leafy, curved.
Leaves from two to three inches, mostly-inclining one
way, alternate, between ovate and elliptical,
somewhat waved, thin, nerved, with three promi-
nent.nerves on the back, at the base contracted,
partly embracing the stem, above green, beneath
glaucous. .
Peduncles axillary, solitary, branched, from two- to
five-flowered.
Flowers inclining one way, pointing backwards (or to
the posterior side), nodding, white, with their
apices green.
Perianth monopetalous, cylindrical, tubular, thickened
at the base, at the apex having six divisions,
with the laciniasi erecto-patent, bearded.
Stamens six, as long as the tube, and inserted near its
middle: Filaments white, hairy, with the hairs
standing out horizontally, jointed, f g . 4. Anthers
oblong, two-celled, Jig. 2. Pollen spherical.
Ovary ovate, somewhat triangular. Style scarcely
longer than the stamens, filiform, flexuose, white:
Stigma trigonous, spreading, hairy, f g . 6. ■
Pericarp : Berry superior, pendent, somewhat globose,
blueish-black, marked with three elevated longitudinal
lines, three-celled, the cells monospermous,
not unfrequently abortive.
Seeds roundish, smooth.
f g . 3. Pollen, f g . 4. Hairs of the filaments. Jig. 5. Ova-
f g . 8. Berry seen a t the extremity, fig. 9. Berry cut transit).
Seed, nat. size. Jig. 11. The same magnified.— All but
. present species grows in moist woods in various parts of England, as. may be seen by the numerous stations
given for it m Turner and Dillwyn s Botanist's Guide. Mr. Bicheno has sent me fine specimens from the neighbourhood
of Newbury, where it is commonly known by the name of Jacob's Ladder. The specimen here figured we
gathered in full flower in a clay-pit, much over-grown with bushes, at Gorlestone near Yarmouth, in the montuof
June. Ripe berries are produced, though rarely, in September; and we are obliged to_Mr. Graves for that represented
on the annexed plate. Two out ot the three cells contained no seed. These berries are described by
Decandolle as well as by Sir James Smith to be re d ; but we have never seen them otherwise than here figured.
The roots are said to be eaten by the Turks as asparagus; and they are likewise made Use of instead of bread,
as C. Polygonatum. ITaller, speaking o f their medicinal qualities, says, “ Inter resolventia, ut Lilii radix, recipi-
tur in cataplasma, quod Fuchsius ad inflammatam uterum commendabat, sua vero auctoritate celebre feddit 111
vir et summus medicus Paulus Gottlieb Werlhof. Ad- sugillata cataplasma Ettmullerus laudabat: ad hernias
Ghomehus. Baccte vomitum movent, et ipsa folia nauseam. Hall. Helv. 1. c.
The name Convallaria is derived from Convallis, a valley, from the usual place of growth. Thkis adds like-
wise, from Xsipov, a lily. Polygonatum, the old generic name “ nroXvy'ovcaov Dioscoridi,” is so called, “ quod
radix crebro gemculata s it: vulgo Sigillum Solomonis baud dubie a vestigiis pluribus radici sigilli instar impressis.”
B a u Hist. p. 664. In France the species are called Muguets, from their smell resembling that of musk, according
to the Glossaire de Rotanique.