296 IXIACEAE 
1. Sisyrinchium éxile Bicknell. Plants in diminutive tufts 3-8 cm. high. Foliage 
glaucescent : larger leaves equalling or surpassing the scapes ; blades 0.75-1.5 mm. wide, 
firm, weakly few-nerved: scapes 1.5-6.5 cm. tall, less than 1 mm. wide, narrowly mar- 
gined, the edges smooth: spathes sometimes larger than the scapes, the bracts foliaceous, 
„ very unequal, the outer one 2-2.8 cm. long: interior scales less than 3 the length of the 
inner bract: flowers few, on hair-like pedicels spreading or recurved from about midway 
in the spathe: perianth very small and delicate, about 5 mm. long, pale yellowish and 
bluish : sepals and petals short-aristulate : staminal column 1.5-2 mm. high, its base dilated 
and puberulent. 
On sandy sea shores, Galveston, Texas. Late winter and early spring. 
2. Sisyrinchium angustifdlium Mill. Plants tufted, 1-4 dm. tall or more, more or 
less glaucous. Leaf-blades 1-3 mm. wide, usually serrulate roughened : scapes twice longer 
than the leaves, about as wide, wing-margined : spathes mostly green, sometimes purplish, 
the outer bract 2-6 cm. long, clasping for 2-6 mm. at its base, much larger than the inner 
one: pedicels stiff and nearly erect: perianth violet-blue, 10-12 mm. long: staminal 
column 4-6 mm. high: capsules 4-6 mm. high, oblong-globose : seeds dark brown, 1-1.5 
mm. long, obovoid-oblong, with shallow pits, or nearly smooth. 
In moist or dry soil, Newfoundland to Saskatchewan, New Jersey, North Carolina and Colorado. 
Spring and summer. 
3. Sisyrinchium mucronàtum Michx. Plants in close tufts, 1-4.5 dm. tall, dull 
green or glaucescent. Leaves numerous; blades from nearly filiform to 1.5 mm. wide : 
scapes twice as long as the leaves or sometimes equalled by them and of about the same 
width, merely margined or narrowly winged, smooth or denticulate-roughened : spathes 
bright red-purple or rarely green, the bracts thin, smooth, the outer one 2-6 cm. long, 
united-clasping for 1-4 mm. at the base, the inner emerging gradually from the outer one, 
1-1.5 em. long: pedicels slender, somewhat spreading : perianth deep purple-blue or some- 
times white, 6-14 mm. long : capsules 2-4 mm. high, pale, thin-walled : seeds black, about 1 
mm. long, subglobose, pitted. 
Es In meadows and grassy places, or sometimes in dry soil, Ontario and Michigan to North Carolina. 
pring. 
4. Sisyrinchium campéstre Bicknell. Plants closely tufted, 1-3 dm. tall, glaucescent 
or glaucous. Leaf-blades mostly 1-1.5 mm. wide, smooth-edged : scapes twice as long as 
the leaves or sometimes surpassed by them, 1-1.5 mm. wide, narrowly wing-margined, the 
sides often obscurely scabrous: spathes dull purple to green, the bracts commonly roughish 
all over or canescently scabrous-puberulent, or sometimes glabrous, the outer one 2.5-4.5 
mm. long, its edges free to the extreme base, the inner bract 1.2-2 cm. long, somewhat 
abruptly emerging from the outer one: pedicels nearly erect : perianth pale blue or white, 
8-14 mm. long: capsules pale, 2-4 mm. high: seeds 1-1.25 mm. long, obovoid-globose, 
faintly pitted. 
On plains, prairies and in meadows and open woods, Wisconsin to North Dakota, Louisiana and 
New Mexico. Spring.—A variety from Kansas and Oklahoma, S. campestre Kansdnum Bicknell, is 
stouter, has larger flowers, broader leaf-blades, more winged scapes and larger spathes, the slenderly 
prolonged outer bract being 2.5-6.5 cm. long. 
5. Sisyrinchium sagittíferum Bicknell. Plants thinly tufted, 1-3 dm. tall, fibril- 
lose at the base, drying dark. Roots clustered and becoming much thickened : leaf-blades 
rather thin, but firm, 0.5-3 mm. wide, striate-nerved, the edges smooth or serrulate : 
scapes about as long as the leaves, very slender, 0.5-1.5 mm. wide, wing-margined, mostly 
denticulate-roughened : spathes erect, often 2 together, the outer bract slenderly attenuate, 
1.5-7 cm. long, its margins free to the base, the inner bract 1-1.7 em. long, rather broad 
below, mostly scarious and obtuse at the apex: pedicels hair-like, flexuously exserted : 
perianth violet or white, 8-10 mm. long: capsules dark, subglobose, 4-6 mm. high, on 
finally spreading or recurved pedicels. 
In dry woods, Louisiana and Texas. Early spring. 
6. Sisyrinchium álbidum Raf. Plants more or less tufted, 1.5-4.5 dm. tall, green or 
glaucous. Leaf-blades mostly 1.5 mm. wide (0.5-3.5 mm. ), usually smooth-edged, some- 
times serrulate: scapes about twice as tall as the leaves, mostly 1.5 mm. wide, often very 
flat, the thin wings mostly serrulate or hispidulous on the margins: spathes 2 together, the 
primary bract 2.5-7 cm. long, much surpassing the others, foliaceous or slenderly atten- 
uate, the edges distinet to the base: perianth 8-12 mm. long, clear white or violet-blue : 
capsules pale, broadly subglobose, 2-3 mm. long, thick-walled : seeds 0.75-1 mm. in diam- 
eter, black, distinctly pitted. 
In dry or moist soil, or in meadows, Michigan and Missouri to North Carolina, Alabama and 
Louisiana. Spring. 
7. Sisyrinchium scabréllum Bicknell. Plants closely tufted, 2.5-4 dm. tall, slightly 
fibrillose at the base, dull pale green or glaucescent. Leaves stiffly erect, purple-tinged at 
