BicKNELL : Studies in Sisyrinchium 299 



4 



serrulate, sometimes serrulate only on one side : spathes narrow 

 but abruptly broader than the peduncles, erect or slightly bent,' 

 17-20 mm. long, bracts sub-equal or the outer one slightly pro- 

 longed, thin and membranous, narrowly hyaline margined finely 

 or sometimes obscurely nerved, narrow and attenuate, slender- 

 pointed or sub-aristulate, or the inner one mucronate from a 

 scarious apex, the outer one clasping for 2-3 mm. at base : 

 interior scales about half the length of the bracts : flowers 5-9, 

 pale-blue, very small ; perianth appearing to be only about 6 mm. 

 long, very delicate and faintly-nerved : capsules pale and thin- 

 walled, 3-5 mm. high, on slender, somewhat flexuously -erect, ex- 

 serted pedicels, 17-25 mm. long. 



Southeastern Michigan, Birmingham, Oakland County, Sep- 

 tember 27, 1898, O. A. Farwell. 



Very distinct from any species of the Eastern States, appearing 

 to group more naturally with the fibrous-based S. Floridannui and 

 allied species of the South. 



Sisyrinchium strictum 



About 30 cm. high in close tufts not fibrous-coated at base, 

 pale, bright green and glaucous, keeping its color when dried, the 

 spathes often purple and sometimes the entire plant purplish- 

 tinged. Leav^es over half the height of the stems, closely erect, 

 rather thin, but firm and closely striate-nerved, 1-2 mm. wide," 

 slenderly acute, the edges minutely serrulate to smooth; stems 

 about 1.5 mm. wide, the wing-margins rather thin, mostly serru- 

 late ; node only one, bearing a slender erect bracteal-leaf, shorter or 

 longerthan the mostly two short, erect, approximate peduncles which 

 are narrowly wing-margined with denticulate edges ; spathes erect, 

 narrowed into the peduncle, 16-20 mm. long, 1.5-3 "^i^- wide, 

 the bracts subequal, but usually the inner one slightly surpassing 

 the outer and obviously the broader above, acute or mucronulate, 

 rather openly fine-nerved, almost carinate, the dorsal line of the 

 outer bract usually showing a more or less abrupt descent into the 

 acuminate apical part, the margins below slightly hyaline, 

 united for about 5 mm. above the base; interior scales small, half 

 the length of the bracts or less : flowers 3-6 on erect, slightly 

 exsertcd pedicels 20-23 mm. long; perianth deep blue-purple, ap- 

 parently about 10 mm. long ; staniineal column about 5 mm. high ; 

 pedicels distinctly margined or even winged, the exserted tips be- 

 coming purple : a single capsule is truncate obovate, pale and 

 thin-walled over 4 mm. high : seeds not quite mature, oblong, 

 dark and rugulose-pitted, I -1.2 5 mm. in longer diameter. ' 



