7. MUSCÀRI, Tourn. Grape-Hyacinth.
Perianth globular or ovoid, minutely 6-toothed (blue). Stamens 6, included; anthers short, introrse. Style short. Capsule loculicidal, with 2 black angular seeds in each cell.—Leaves and scape (in early spring) from a coated bulb; the small flowers in a dense raceme, sometimes musk-scented (whence the name).
M. botryoìdes, Mill. Leaves linear, 3–4´´ broad; flowers globular (1–1½´´ long), deep blue, appearing like minute grapes.—Escaped from gardens into copses and fence-rows. (Adv. from Eu.)
M. racemòsum, Mill. Leaves 1–1½´´ broad; flowers oblong-urceolate, 2–2½´´ long, deep blue, fragrant.—Rare escape, Md. and Penn. (Adv. from Eu.)
8. HEMEROCÁLLIS, L. Day-Lily.
Perianth funnel-form, lily-like; the short tube enclosing the ovary, the spreading limb 6-parted; the 6 stamens inserted on its throat. Anthers as in Lilium, but introrse. Filaments and style long and thread-like, declined and ascending; stigma simple. Capsule (at first rather fleshy) 3-angled, loculicidally 3-valved, with several black spherical seeds in each cell.—Showy perennials, with fleshy-fibrous roots; the long and linear keeled leaves 2-ranked at the base of the tall scapes, which bear at the summit several bracted and large yellow flowers; these collapse and decay after expanding for a single day (whence the name, from ἡμέρα, a day, and κάλλος, beauty.)
H. fúlva, L. (Common Day-Lily.) Inner divisions (petals) of the tawny orange perianth wavy and obtuse.—Roadsides, escaped from gardens (Adv. from Eu.)
9. YÚCCA, L. Bear-Grass. Spanish Bayonet.
Perianth of 6 petal-like (white or greenish) oval or oblong and acute flat sepals, withering-persistent, the 3 inner broader, longer than the 6 stamens. Stigmas 3, sessile. Capsule oblong, somewhat 6-sided, 3-celled, or imperfectly 6-celled by a partition from the back, fleshy, at length loculicidally 3-valved from the apex. Seeds very many in each cell, flattened.—Stems woody, either very short or rising into thick and columnar palm-like trunks, bearing persistent rigid linear or sword-shaped leaves, and an often ample compound panicle or branched raceme of showy flowers. (The native Haytian name for the root of the Cassava-plant.)
1. Y. angustifòlia, Pursh. Caudex none or very short; leaves straight very stiff and pungent, ½–2° long by 1–6´´ wide, filiferous on the margin; raceme mostly simple, nearly sessile (1–4° long); flowers 1½–2½´ wide; stigmas green, shorter than the ovary; capsule 6-sided (3´ long); seeds 5–6´´ broad.—Dak. to Iowa, Kan., and N. Mex. May, June.