159 
point; cauline leaves setaceous, 1-3 dm. long, about I cm. broad 
at base; stem arising from a bulbous base, 1-2 metres high; in- 
florescence paniculate, ovoid to oblong in outline, 3-4 dm. long ; 
flowers in clusters of 2 or 3 on erect pedicels 3-5 mm. long ; peri- 
. anth segments elliptical to elliptical-ovate, 4 mm. loag, 2 mm. 
wide, glandular at apex; filaments flat, broadly subulate, 2 mm. 
long, .5 mm. broad; anthers 1.5 mm. long ; cells oblong, .75 mm. 
broad; ovary 3-celled, orbicular-ovoid, truncate, somewhat trique- 
trous; stigmas sessile; capsule orbicular, on slender recurved 
pedicels about I cm. in length, 8-9 mm. long, 10 mm. broad, 
cordate, retuse, triquetrous, 2 of the cells 1-seeded, the other gen- 
erally empty. 
Grows in dry, sandy soil in the high pine land region. Some- 
times five or six plants occur together, and then it makes a very 
showy appearance in flower. 
This plant is named in honor of Dr. N. L. Britton who has 
given me much help and advice in working up my collections, and 
to whom I wish to extend my thanks for his many kindnesses. 
1389. Xyris platylepis Chapm. . 
This is found in the low pine land region and occurs with either 
white or yellow flowers (No. 1377.), the former by far the more 
frequent. 
954. Ayris torta Sm. 
This is the commonest species, inhabiting the low pine land. 
It invariably has white flowers, a fact which does not seem to have 
been noted before. 
1584. Xyris SMALLIANA n. sp. . 
Plant smooth, glabrous and shining throughout. Leaves about 
one-half as long as scape, linear, 3.5-6 dm. long, 3-9 mm. wide, 
striate, the lower half purple; sheath from 2.5—4 dm. long, striate, 
with a blade from 1-10 cm. long; scape erect, scarcely striate, 
7-10 dm. tall, nearly terete, 1-edged throughout, flattened and 2- 
edged just below the head, one edge being much more prominent, 
heads ellipsoidal, about 2 cm. long, 1 cm. in diameter when ma- 
ture, ovoid in the early flowering state; scales orbicular-obovate, 
entire, 5-6 mm. long, 3-5 mm. wide; lateral sepals conspicuously 
exserted, 8 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, curved, wing gradually broad- 
€ning to the top where it is from one-half to two-thirds as wide as 
the sepal, lacerate-fimbriate for the upper third; petals yellow; 
capsule obovoid, obscurely triquetrous, placentae parietal; seeds 
from cylindric-oblong to cylindric-obovoid, more or less curved, 
pointed at both ends, striate, about .6 mm. long, .2 mm. wide. 
