IXIACEAE 303 
over with minute whitish points. Leaves about } the height of the plant; blades 1-3.5 
mm. wide, rather thin, the edges smooth : scapes 1-2.5 mm. wide, sometimes rather broadly 
thin-winged ; nodes 1-2, the first one usually low on the scape: peduncles 2-3 together, 
straight and slender, 5-12 cm. long, surpassing the bracteal leaves, sometimes longer than 
the main scape: spathes narrow, the bracts slenderly sharp-attenuate, delicately many- 
nerved, the usually longer outer one 1.5-3 cm. long : flowers on hair-like, flexuously much 
exserted and recurved pedicels: perianth violet-blue, with a broad pale yellow center, 10 
mm. long or more : ovary glabrous. 
In woods and on prairies, Dallas, Texas. Spring. 
44. Sisyrinchium longipedunculàtum Bicknell. Plants pale green and glaucescent, 
about 5 dm. tall, the roots rather few and coarse. Leaves dry and stiff, over half the 
height of the plant; blades 2-4 mm. wide, firmly close-nerved, slenderly attenuate, the 
sharp edges close-serrulate: scapes few or solitary, 2.5 mm. wide, stiff, the wing-margins 
sharp-serrulate : bracteal leaf. much shorter than the 2 very long slender peduncles which 
are sometimes 1.8 dm. long: spathes about 2.6 cm. long, very narrow, almost subterete, 
the stiff, obscurely nerved nearly equal bracts cuspidate-acute : capsules pale brown, on 
nearly erect, slightly exserted pedicels, large, obovoid-oblong, becoming 7.5 mm. high: 
seeds 1.5-2 mm. in longer diameter, at length smooth and somewhat shining. 
In dry soil, Gaudaloupe Mountains, and probably further east, Texas. Spring. 
45. Sisyrinchium ensígerum Bicknell. Plants stiff and pale glaucous-green, dry- 
ing pale, 1-4 dm. high. Leaf-blades 1.5-4 mm. wide, often ensiform and outcurved, firmly 
close-nerved, the edges usually serrulate: scapes rigid, erect or outcurved, sometimes 
branched, 1.5-3.5 mm. wide, the firm wing-margins rough-serrulate: peduncles 2-4 to- 
gether, short or long, stout or slender: spathes mostly 2-2.5 cm. long, but sometimes much 
longer, the outer bract even 4.5 cm. long, broadly flattened or narrow, the stiff thickish 
bracts strongly nerved, mostly attenuate : flowers on pedicels equalling or longer than the 
bracts: perianth pale violet-blue, 1-1.5 cm. long: staminal column about 5 mm. high : 
ovary puberulent : capsules pale and rather thick-walled, 4.5-5 mm. high. 
On prairies, south-central to northwestern Texas. Spring. 
46. Sisyrinchium várians Bicknell. Plants erect or ascending, 1.5-3 dm. tall, light 
green and glaucescent, often discoloring somewhat when dry. Leaves rather thin and soft 
to firm ; blades 1.5-4 mm. wide, the nerves evident, the edges smooth: bracteal leaves 
often much elongated : scapes 1.5-3 mm. wide, narrowly winged, the edges smooth to den- 
ticulate ; nodes 1-3: peduncles 2-3 together: spathes mostly narrow, the somewhat un- 
equal bracts finely many-nerved, the longer outer one 2-3 cm. long or sometimes more, 
narrowly acute or more foliaceous and somewhat incurved : flowers on slightly exserted 
pedicels: perianth light-blue, 8-13 mm. long: staminal column 4-5 mm. high: ovary 
glabrous. 
On prairies, central and eastern Texas and the Indian Territory. Spring. 
. 7. Sisyrinchium amoénum Bicknell. Plants erect in many-scaped tufts, becom- 
ing 3 dm. tall, or more, yellowish green and glaucescent, brownish green when dry, the 
spathes mostly purplish. Leaves often equalling the scrapes, not rigid ; blades 1-3 mm. 
wide, fine-nerved, the edges smooth: scapes narrowly winged, 1-2 mm. wide, the edges 
mostly smooth, usually two-branched from about the middle, each branch bearing 2-4 
shorter peduncles: lower bracteal leaf elongated: peduncles mostly short and somewhat 
curved : spathes 15-18 mm. long, the bracts subequal, short-attenuate, finely close-nerved, 
the interior scales little shorter: flowers rather large: perianth deep purple-blue, about 12 
"us long on an erect pedicel equalling the bracts: staminal column 5 mm. high : ovary 
glabrous. 
On prairies, eastern Texas. Spring. 
48. Sisyrinchium Brayi Bicknell. Plants stiff, erectly ascending, about 1.5 dm. tall, 
much darkened when dry. Leaves nearly equalling the scape, firm ; blades often curved, 
1-2 mm. wide, smooth or minutely denticulate: scapes often outeurved below, 1-1.5 mm. 
wide, narrowly margined, the edges cartilaginous and denticulate ; nodes 1 or 2, the lower 
mostly below the middle: peduncles solitary or 2-4 together, stiff and slender, 3-8 cm. 
long : spathes narrowly oblong, about 1.5 cm. long, the subequal bracts firmly membra- 
nous and finely many-nerved, very acute, the interior scales but little shorter: flowers on 
erect pedicels subequal with the bracts: perianth bright-blue, about 10 mm. long: ovary 
glabrous: capsules apparently very small, the valves 3-nerved. 
On prairies, eastern Texas. Spring. 
49. Sisyrinchium furcàtum Bicknell. Plant forming close many-scaped tufts, 10-20 
cm. high, bright yellowish green, turning duller or brownish, the spathes and nodes usually 
purplish. Leaf-blades 0.5-2 mm. wide, closely striate-nerved, the edges mostly smooth, 
