31. Stenanthium. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate, without glands.
32. Zygadenus. Sepals oblong to ovate, glandular toward the base.
33. Amianthium. Flowers in a dense raceme. Sepals ovate-oblong, glandless, free from the ovary. Cells of the capsule widely divergent, 1–2-seeded.
1. SMÌLAX, Tourn. Greenbrier. Cat-brier.
Flowers diœcious in umbels or axillary peduncles, small, greenish or yellowish, regular, the perianth-segments distinct, deciduous. Filaments linear, inserted on the very base, the introrse anthers linear or oblong, fixed by the base, apparently 1-celled. Ovary of fertile flowers 3-celled (1-celled, with single stigma, in n. 11); stigmas thick and spreading, almost sessile; ovules 1 or 2 in each cell, pendulous, orthtropous; fruit a small berry.—Shrubby or rarely herbaceous, usually climbing or supported by a pair of tendrils on the petiole of the ribbed and netted-veined simple leaves. (The ancient Greek name, of obscure meaning.)
§ 1. Stems herbaceous, not prickly; flowers carrion-scented; ovules 2 in each cell; leaves membranous, mucronate-tipped; berries bluish-black with a bloom.
1. S. herbàcea, L. (Carrion-Flower.) Stem climbing, 3–15° high; leaves ovate or rounded, mostly heart-shaped or truncate at base, abruptly acute to short-acuminate, 7–9-nerved, smooth; petioles ½–1´ long; peduncles elongated (3–4´ long, or sometimes even 6–8´ and much longer than the leaves), 20–40-flowered; seeds 6.—Moist meadows and river-banks; common, from the Atlantic to Minn., Mo., and Tex. June. Very variable.—Var. puberulénta, Gray, has the leaves more or less soft-downy beneath.
2. S. tamnifòlia, Michx. Stem upright or climbing; leaves mostly 5-nerved, smooth, broadly ovate to lanceolate, truncate or cordate at base, abruptly acute to acuminate, some of them hastate with broad rounded lobes; peduncles longer than the petioles; berry smaller, 2–3-seeded.—Pine-barrens, N. J. to S. C.
3. S. ecirrhàta, Watson. Erect, ½–3° high, without tendrils (or only the uppermost petioles tendril-bearing), glabrous; lower leaves reduced to narrow scale-like bracts, the rest thin, 5–7-nerved, broadly ovate-elliptical to roundish, acute, mostly cordate at base, 2–5´ long, sometimes verticillate, sparsely pubescent beneath; peduncles about equalling the petioles (1–2½´ long), on the lower part of the stem; umbels 10–20-flowered; berry 3-seeded.—Md. to S. C., west to Mich. and Mo. May, June.
§ 2. Stems woody, often prickly; ovules solitary; glabrous throughout.