304 IXIACEAE 
the sides below, as well as the scapes and bracts, sometimes incrustate-roughened : scapes 0.5- 
1.5 mm. wide, narrowly thin-winged or margined : peduncles 2-3, slender, 4-6 cm. long : 
spathes mostly 1.5-2 cm. long, the bracts membranous and delicately nerved, acute or 
acuminate, equal, or the outer one longer: interior scales 3 the length of the bracts: 
flowers on erect mostly not exserted pedicels: perianth deep purple-blue, 10-12 mm. 
long: staminal column 4-5 mm. high, usually less than 3 the length of the perianth : ovary 
densely glandular puberulent or tomentulose. 
On prairies, Arkansas to Mississippi and Texas. Spring. 
50. Sisyrinchium Langloisii Greene. Plants ascending or erect, in loose tufts, 6— 
25 em. tall, dull green turning dark. Leaves often equalling the scapes ; blades from al- 
most capillary to over 1 mm. wide, firm, the edges smooth : scapes very slender, the 
narrow margins smooth to denticulate, the node often low down or nearly basal, bearing 2-3 
extremely slender peduncles 4-9 cm. long: spathes narrow, about 1.5 cm. long, the bracts 
rather stiff and firmly close-nerved, narrowly attenuate, equal, or the outer one sometimes 
longer: flowers on hair-like, slenderly exserted pedicels: perianth pale blue, less than 10 
mm. long: staminal column 4-5 mm. high, usually over j the length of the perianth : 
ovary sparsely puberulent. 
On prairies, Louisiana and Texas. Spring. 
51. Sisyrinchium Büshii Bicknell. Plants erect, or at length spreading or depressed, 
in small tufts 6-15 cm. tall, pale and glaucescent. Leaves shorter than or equalling the 
scapes ; blades 1.5-2 mm. wide, firmly close-nerved, the edges smooth or denticulate : scapes 
sometimes geniculate at the first node, 1-2 mm. wide, the firm margins denticulate : nodes 
1-2, the first one often low down, bearing 2-4 peduncles: spathes 12-20 mm. long, the 
bracts equal or either one slightly the longer, closely nerved, acute or the inner obtuse, 
the interior scales scarcely shorter: flowers on well exserted often recurved pedicels: peri- 
anth pale violet-blue, 8-12 mm. long: ovary puberulent to glabrate. 
In dry soil, the Indian Territory and Texas. Spring. 
52. Sisyrinchium Cánbyi Bicknell. Plants diminutive, 4-6 cm. tall, in tufts of 
several stiffly ascending scapes, dull glaucescent green. Leaf-blades mostly only 0.5 mm. 
wide, prominently nerved, the edges, as are those of scapes and peduncles, finely cartilagi- 
nous-denticulate : scapes very narrow, mostly branched about the middle into two slightly 
curved peduncles 1.5-2.5 em. long with a subequal bracteal leaf: spathes narrowly oblong, 
the acute or obtuse bracts close-nerved, 10-12 mm. long, the outer one often linear-atten- 
uate : interior scales nearly equalling the bracts : flowers on exserted pedicels : perianth 6-8 
mm. long, bright purplish blue: staminal column 3 mm. high: ovary glabrous. 
On prairies, eastern Texas. Early spring. 
53. Sisyrinchium Texànum Bicknell. Plants 1.2-2.5 dm. tall, dull green and 
glaucescent, mostly discolored when dry. Leaves usually equalling the scapes ; blades 1-2.5 
cm. wide, close-striate, the edges mostly smooth: scapes narrow-margined, smooth-edged 
or denticulate, 1-2 mm. wide ; node mostly one, supporting an erect bracteal leaf mostly 
longer than the 2-3 diverging peduncles: peduncles slender, 5-12 cm. long: spathes rather 
short and broad-based, becoming pale and somewhat turgid on the sides, the bracts stiff, 
strongly few-nerved, subequal or the attenuate or acute outer one longer: inner bract 
usually very obtuse and scarious at the apex,about 1.5 cm. long: interior scales nearly as long: 
flowers on erect, slightly exserted pedicels: perianth light violet-blue, 10-15 mm. long: 
ovary glabrate or nearly so : capsules dark, thick-walled, 3-5 mm. high, the valves usually 
apiculate and bearing submarginal nerves. 
On prairies, eastern Texas and Louisiana. Spring. 
5. HERBÉRTIA Sweet. 
Caulescent herbs, with coated bulb-like rootstocks. Leaves few : blades narrow, elon- 
gated, slightly folded. Flowers several in the solitary, terminal spathe. Perianth showy, 
long-pediceled : members 6, distinct ; sepals3, more or less spreading ; petals3, much smaller. 
Stamens 3: filaments united into a tube which is adnate to the perianth : anthers narrow, 
sessile on the tube. Ovary 3-celled : styles partially united, the distinct portions 2-cleft, 
opposite the anthers. Ovules numerous in each cavity. Capsule exserted, slightly elon- 
gated, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds rather numerous, angled. 
Perianth blue: sepals obovate : petals oblanceolate. 1. H. Drummondiana. 
Perianth purple : sepals oblanceolate: petals obovate. 2. H. Watsonii. 
1. Herbertia Drummondiàna Herb. Stems 1-3 dm. tall, simple or forked : leaves 
mainly basal, erect, often 4; blades linear, about equalling the top of the stem: spathes. 
