IXIACEAE 207 
the base; blades 1-2 mm. wide, cuspidate-acute, usually scabrous or even canescently in- 
crustate with minute white setulose papillae, sometimes less so or quite smooth above: 
scapes slender, but stiff, about } longer than the leaves, 1-2 mm. wide, flattened, usually 
roughened like the leaves, at least below, the wing-margins with rough edges: spathes 2 
or rarely 3 together, mostly green, the bracts more or less roughened, the primary bract 
stiff and elongated, 3.5-11.5 cm. long, usually smooth or nearly so above, the inferior outer 
bract attenuate, often slenderly prolonged, 1.2-3.8 em. long, surpassing the inner bracts : 
pedicels loosely erect or flexuously much exserted: perianth pale blue, 8-12 mm. long. 
On hillsides or in woods, North Carolina. Spring. 
8. Sisyrinchium Asheanum Bicknell. Similar to S. scabrellum, but lower and more 
slender, with the leaves and bracts slightly if at all roughened. Leaf-blades 0.5-1.5 mm. 
wide, tapering to a hardened acute or obtuse tip : scapes 1.5-3 dm. tall, about 1 mm. wide : 
spathes mostly red-purple, the primary bract 2-6 cm. long, those of the spathes proper 1-1.6 
cm. long; first (outer) bract of the outer spathe mostly not longer than the inner one or 
even shorter: perianth rather smaller than that of the preceding species, deep violet-blue. 
In wet meadows, North Carolina. Spring. 
9. Sisyrinchium capillàre Bicknell. Plants extremely slender and delicate, 2-4.5 
dm. tall, in thin tufts, closely fibrillose at the base, glaucescent, drying a dull olive-green. 
Leaves almost filiform, 0.5 mm. wide or less, attenutate, often developing hardened tips, 
like the spathes often dull purple at the base: scapes 3-3 again higher than the leavés 
which they resemble, smooth, firm-margined : spathes mostly in pairs, sometimes solitary 
or 3 together, sessile and subtended by an elongated (2-8.5 cm.) slender, accessory bract : 
bracts of the spathe nearly equal, 10-13 mm. long, narrowly acute or aculeate : flowers on 
slenderly exserted finally spreading pedicels: perianth light violet-blue, 6-8 mm. long: 
capsules pale, subglobose, 2-3 mm. high: seeds 0.75 mm. in diameter, distinctly alveolate. 
In flat sandy woods, North Carolina to Florida. Spring. 
10. Sisyrinchium bifórme Bicknell. Plants in scant tufts, 20-40 cm. high, pale 
green and glaucescent. Roots stout and simple: leaf-blades 1-1.5 mm. wide, very acute, 
prominently close-nerved, the edges smooth : scapes often twice the height of the leaves, 
and as stiff, narrow, simple or with 1-3 terminal peduncles, sinuous or straight, subterete, 
the smooth margins sometimes almost obsolete: peduncles 5-7 em. long, longer than the 
erect bracteal leaf: spathes narrow,often subterete at the base, 1.5-3 em. long, the bracts stiff, 
cuspidate-acute, the inner one mostly longer than the outer, flattened-navicular, with an 
incurved apex : interior scales crowded, nearly equalling the bracts: pedicels erect, slightly 
exserted : capsules dark brown, 5-7 mm. high, broadly oblong, many-seeded : seeds 1-1.25 
mm. in diameter, coarsely pitted. 
In dry soil, San Felipe, Texas. Spring. 
11. Sisyrinchium intermédium Bicknell. Plants tufted 1.5-3.5 dm. tall, dull 
green, turning dark in drying. Leaves erect; blades 1.5-2.5 mm. wide, attenuate, and 
cuspidate-acute, thin and grass-like, the edges serrulate to smooth : scapes mostly twice as 
long as the leaves, straight, frail, 1-2.5 mm. wide, the thin wings fine-serrulate: peduncles 
1-2, 3-7 em. long : spathes mostly purple, narrow, rather sharply 2-edged, the sides margined 
below by the ascending wings of the scape or peduncle, the bracts thin, glabrous, the outer one 
2-6 cm. long, on simple scapes prolonged beyond the inner 1-4 cm., the edges not united 
below ; inner bracts 1.5-2 em. long : perianth pale-blue, 8-14 mm. long: ovary glabrous: 
capsules dark, thin-walled, about 4 mm. high, on slender flexuously spreading serials 
In sandy soil, New Jersey to North Carolina. Late spring. 
12. Sisyrinchium versicolor Bicknell. Plants tufted, becoming 3.5 dm. tall, pale 
green or glaucous, not drying dark. Leaves rather stiff, rose-pink at the base; blades 
1.5-3 mm. wide, close-striate, the edges like those of the scape mostly serrulate-roughened : 
scapes 1-2.5 mm. wide, simple or frequently developing an erect bracteal leaf and 2 pedun- 
cles : spathes mostly purple-tinged, their bracts like the bracteal leaf roughened all over, 
with minute papillae, often prominently striate, the outer bract 2.5-5 em. long, much pro- 
longed beyond the inner or little surpassing it when the scape is branched, the margins 
not united below, the inner bract 17-20 mm. long: perianth pale blue, 10-12 mm. long : 
capsules pale, about 3 mm. in diameter, on delicate slenderly exserted pedicels. 
In sandy soil, District of Columbia to North Carolina and Georgia. Spring. 
13. Sisyrinchtum xerophyllum Greene. Plants tufted, coarsely brown-fibrose at 
the base, dull green, glaucescent, drying dark brown. Leaves stiff, becoming flexuous, 
often longer than the scapes; blades 2-4 mm. wide, closely striate, transversely rugulose or 
granulose between the nerves, the edges obscurely roughened to smooth : scapes 2-3 mm. 
wide, winged, above passing into the primary bract which subtends the lateral appearing 
cluster of 2-6 short-peduncled spathes: peduncles 2-6 cm. or even 10 cm. long, slightly 
