122 Rhodora [AUGUST 
The results of this study are embodied in the following key to and 
synopsis of the American species. In the drawings I have shown the 
habit ( x 14) and the seed (approximately x 40) of each species. 
KEY TO SPECTES 
A. Mature seeds black B. 
B. Leaves linear-filiform, canaliculate or involute, less than 
1 mm. broad; seeds with truncated, irregularly carved 
mune Fein a eee 1. H. juncea. 
B. Leaves linear to lanceolate, broader; seeds muricate, 
papillose or with rounded pebbling C 
C. Sheaths not usually disintegrating into bristles at the 
base D. 
D. Seeds covered with numerous, closely crowded, 
spine-like murications, lustrous E 
E. Leaves 1-8 mm. broad, stiff and loosely ascending; 
peduncles stiffish, usually 2-7-flowered; mature 
ovary loosely and densely villous; seeds with 
murications sharp-pointed . . ..2. H. hirsuta. 
E. Leaves 3.5-12 mm. broad, very thin and ‘flaccid; 
peduncles capillary and ‘lax, 1-3 (rarely 4)-flow- 
ered; mature capsule slightly pubescent to glab- 
rate; seeds with bluntish murications coarser than 
in typical HS Ae sl 2a. H. hirsuta, var. leptocarpa. 
D. Seeds covered with often nearly confluent, low, 
rounded pebbling, generally not lustrous; leaves 
flaccid F. 
F. Scapes 1-4-flowered............o..ooooooo cm... 3. H. decumbens. 
F. Scapes generally 4-8-flowered; "id form, usu- 
ally more pilose................ 3a. H. decumbens, var. major. 
C. Sheaths disintegrating into fibers G. 
G. Leaves rather stiff and pilose; fibers forming gen- 
erally rather dense tufts; scapes 1-2-flowered; the 
pedicels shorter than the flowers; seeds covered 
with low, rounded, closely ap roximate pebbling.....4. H. rigida. 
G. Leaves flaccid, becoming only slightly fibrillous; 
scapes 2-4-flowered; the pedicels much exceeding 
the flowers; seeds 'papillose, bearing irregularly 
elongate, obtuse papillae.................... 5. H. tepicensis. 
A. Mature seeds brown or drab (black only underlying the 
outer coat and about the beak and rostrate hilum), some- 
times showing iridescence H. 
H. Seeds iridescent I. 
I. Anthers nearly basifixed; the basal lobes short and 
rounded; leaves linear-lanceolate, not distinctly 
narrowed at the base; flowers solitary, often nearly 
sessile; seeds with gold or blue colors predominating. 6. H. sessilis. 
I. Anthers’ versatile; the basal lobes longer, tapering at 
the ends; leaves linear-lanceolate, narrowed almost 
to petioles near the base; scapes 1-2-flowered ; seeds 
black beneath the exfoliating outer coat which clings 
as remnants about the flat pebbling and shows shi 
t eres o a daa rS H. breviscapa 
H. Seeds not iridescent or rarely with slight idin 
fleckings J. 
J. Seeds rarely showing any black except at beak or 
hilum K. 
