BicKXELL : Studies ix Sisvkixchium 449 



however, is inconclusive as to the exact character of the mature 

 capsule and seeds. 



Certain small specimens, imperfect as to flowers and fruit 

 appear somewhat intermediate with S. Jialopliiluin^ but the fully 

 dev^eloped states of tlie two plants show them to be distinct. 

 From 5. ]iaIop]iilunt the present species differs in brighter green 

 color, less thickened roots, broader leaves and stem, the latter 

 more decidedly winged, larger spathes with more unequal and 

 acute bracts, larger flowers on more slender pedicels, larger and 

 darker glabrate capsules. 



Several small specimens from the Mammoth Hot Springs with 

 mostly curved stems, and leaves very variable in length and breadth 

 are referred here with some hesitation. A single specimen from 

 North Dakota is old and fragmentary but at present can be placed 

 with no other species than this. In fact I am obliged to make this 

 species for the present a repository for a somewhat ill-assorted 

 series of specimens which may represent more than one species 

 but which it is impossible to place satisfactorily wanting a better 



I 



knowledcre of their flowers and mature fruit. 



o 



Sisyrinchium segetum sp. nov. 



Duller green and less glaucous than 5. occidentalt\ even 

 scarcely glaucescent, with narrower and thinner leaves and morC 

 -numerous and narrower stems apparently growing close together 

 in dense masses rather than tufted : leaves mostl}' setaceous and 

 I mm. wide (.5—1.5 mm.), not very close-nerved except when 

 young, sometimes roughish toward the tapering aculeate often bent 

 apex : stems mostly i mm. or less wide, the narrow wings thin, 

 with almost hyaline edges : spathes mostly purplish to red-purple, 

 sometimes nearly green, stiffly erect, the outer bract very slenderly 

 attenuate sometimes for fully half its length, tapering acute, 18— 

 38 mm. long, subequal with the inner bract or surpassing it by 

 12 mm., or even more, the inner bract narrower, more slenderly 

 attenuate and less hyaline-margined than in 5. occidtiitale : flowers 

 on very slender often subspreading pedicels, very large and deep 



violet-blue, the perianth 12-17 ^^^^^- 1*^^"*S indicating an extreme 

 spread of over 3 cm., the segments slenderly aristulate ; stamincal 

 column 5—7 mm. high ; capsules broadly oblong, 5—6 mm. high, 



brown, transversely corrugate, many-seeded, seeds irregularly 

 obovate, I mm. in longer diameter, black, faintly pitted to smooth'. 



Washington : Seattle, May, 1892, in full flower, Chas. V. 



