Studies in Sisyrinchium— I : Sixteen new Species from the 



Southern States 



l]v Eugene P. Bicknell 



Only a few years ago our familiar Blue-eyed Grass was looked 

 upon as a plant common to nearly all parts of Nortli America 

 and as being the only one of its genus occurring in all that wide 

 extent of country except in the farthest west. 



The species — actually the extensive group of species — has thus 

 been altogether misunderstood. 



Nearly ten years ago Dr. Watson, after a critical study of 

 eastern plants, announced that two forms might fairly be regarded 

 as distinct ; but this view was not generally understood, and Dr. 

 Morong, who examined the problem in the interest of the A. A. 

 A. S. '* List/' published in 1893-4, 'reached the conclusion that 

 but one eastern species should be accepted. 



A 



fc. 



' York City enabled me, two years later, confidently to define three 

 eastern species and to intimate that yet others awaited critical 

 discrimination. It was then my hope that the subject would be 

 taken up by some one having wider opportunity for study, but as 

 no new word on blue-eyed grasses had been said up to the present 

 year, while the need of a better understanding of them had been 

 pressingly brought to my attention, the study of our species was 

 resumed. It seems, however, that the group has not been so 

 entirely neglected as had been believed. This appears from a re- 

 cent signature of '* Pittonia,'' wherein Professor Greene adds five 

 species to the number known from North America. Three of 

 these are well known to me as excellent species. Two of them 

 come within the scope of the present paper, one a strongly char- 

 acterized Floridan plant, well named S. xcropJiylluin^ the other from 

 Louisiana, ^. Lajigloisii^ which from the description is evidently 

 quite different from anything that has come under my notice. 



The present series of papers may be taken as preliminary to 

 a general review of the genus in North America. 



My acknowledgments to many friends and correspondents for 



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