# An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions/Convallariaceae

Family 23.   Convallariaceae   Link.   Handb. 1: 184.   1829.
Lily-of-the-Valley Family.
Scapose or leafy-stemmed herbs, with simple or branched rootstocks, never with bulbs or corms.  Flowers solitary, racemose, panicled or umbelled, regular and perfect.  Leaves broad, parallel-veined and sometimes with cross-veinlets, alternate, verticillate or basal, or in Asparagus and its allies reduced to scales bearing filiform or flattened branchlets in their axils.  Perianth inferior, 4-6-parted with separate segments, or oblong, cylindric or urn-shaped and 6-lobed or 6-toothed.  Stamens 6, rarely 4, hypogynous or borne on the perianth; anthers introrsely, extrorsely or laterally dehiscent.  Ovary 2~3-celled, superior; ovules anatropous or amphitropous; style slender or short; stigma mostly 3-lobed.  Fruit a fleshy berry, rarely a capsule.  Seeds few or numerous.  Embryo small.
About 23 genera and 215 species, widely distributed.
Asparagus. :
| Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. | Leaves broad; stems simple or somewhat branched. |
| • | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | Leaves basal; flowers umbelled or solitary. | 2. | Clintonia. |
| • | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). | Leaves alternate (solitary in flowerless plants of no. 4). |
| | • | Perianth-segments separate. | Perianth-segments separate. | Perianth-segments separate. | Perianth-segments separate. | Perianth-segments separate. | Perianth-segments separate. | Perianth-segments separate. | Perianth-segments separate. |
| | | • | Flowers racemed, umbelled, panicled or solitary, terminal. | Flowers racemed, umbelled, panicled or solitary, terminal. | Flowers racemed, umbelled, panicled or solitary, terminal. | Flowers racemed, umbelled, panicled or solitary, terminal. | Flowers racemed, umbelled, panicled or solitary, terminal. | Flowers racemed, umbelled, panicled or solitary, terminal. | Flowers racemed, umbelled, panicled or solitary, terminal. |
| | | | • | Flowers racemed or panicled. | Flowers racemed or panicled. | Flowers racemed or panicled. | Flowers racemed or panicled. | Flowers racemed or panicled. | Flowers racemed or panicled. |
| | | | | • | Perianth-segments 6. | Perianth-segments 6. | Perianth-segments 6. | Perianth-segments 6. | Perianth-segments 6. | 3. | Vagnera. |
| | | | | • | Perianth-segments 4. | Perianth-segments 4. | Perianth-segments 4. | Perianth-segments 4. | Perianth-segments 4. | 4. | Unifolium. |
| | | | • | Flowers umbelled or solitary. | Flowers umbelled or solitary. | Flowers umbelled or solitary. | Flowers umbelled or solitary. | Flowers umbelled or solitary. | Flowers umbelled or solitary. |
| | | | | • | Fruit a berry. | Fruit a berry. | Fruit a berry. | Fruit a berry. | Fruit a berry. | 5. | Disporum. |
| | | | | • | Fruit a capsule. | Fruit a capsule. | Fruit a capsule. | Fruit a capsule. | Fruit a capsule. | 6. | Uvularia. |
| | | • | Flowers solitary or two together, axillary. | Flowers solitary or two together, axillary. | Flowers solitary or two together, axillary. | Flowers solitary or two together, axillary. | Flowers solitary or two together, axillary. | Flowers solitary or two together, axillary. | Flowers solitary or two together, axillary. | 7. | Streptopus. |
| | • | Perianth cylindric or oblong, 6-toothed. | Perianth cylindric or oblong, 6-toothed. | Perianth cylindric or oblong, 6-toothed. | Perianth cylindric or oblong, 6-toothed. | Perianth cylindric or oblong, 6-toothed. | Perianth cylindric or oblong, 6-toothed. | Perianth cylindric or oblong, 6-toothed. | Perianth cylindric or oblong, 6-toothed. | 8. | Polygonatum. |
| • | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | Leaves nearly basal; flowers racemed; perianth 6-toothed. | 9. | Convallana. |