BiCKNELL : Studies in Sisvkinxhium 453 



acuminate and short aristulatc, not retuse, apparently pale rose or 

 violet; stamincal column about 3 mm. hi^jh : capsules on firm 

 erect pedicels about 15 mm. long, pale, subglobose, relatively 

 large, 3—5 mm. high. 



Assiniboia ; Moose Mountain Creek, June 6, 1883, J. M. 



I 



Macoun, ** margins of marshes and streams/' just in flower. Herb. 

 Torr. Bot. Club. 



Alberta: Near Banff, July 8, 1891, Macoun, in flower and 

 young fruit. U. S. Nat. Herb, and Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard. 



Washington: Wilkes Expedition, 1838-42, *^ Spokane to Col- 



ville." U. S. Nat. Herb. 



Idaho : Soda Springs, June 2 1, 1892, A. Isabel Mulford. 



Characterized especially by small size, extremely narrow leaves 

 and stems, very small, pale flowers, with the divisions of the per- 

 ianth non-emarginate, slenderly much prolonged outer bract and 

 relatively large subglobose capsules. Perhaps most nearly related 

 to S, alpcstre. The specimens from Idaho are without perfect 

 flowers or fruit ; though resembling those from British America 

 they have much less elongated primary bract and may not be the 



same. 



Sisyrinchium alpestre sp. nov. 



Tufted, becoming 20 cm. high, dull green and glaucous, dis- 

 coloring slightly when dr)^ Leaves about half the height of the 

 stem, stiff and erect, .5—2 mm. wide, closely striate-nerved, rather 

 abruptly cuspidate acute, the edges smooth or slightly denticulate 

 above in young leaves: stems slender, 1-1.5 mm. wide, narrowly 

 firm-winged, the edges smooth, distinctly broadened into the base 

 of the spathe : spathes green, narrow, 2 mm. or more wide at 

 base, the outer bract very long and slender, sometimes slightly 

 broadened above the middle, straight or curved, 4.5—6.5 cm. long, 

 surpassing its fellow 2.5—3.8 cm., the margins narroAvly hyaline 

 below, united-clasping for 4—6 mm. at base; inner bract 1.8—3 

 cm. long, narrow and slenderly prolonged, acute, the margins 

 below white-hyaline ; interior scales broad, obtuse, about half the 

 length of the fruiting pedicels : flowers on firm erect pedicels 14—18 

 mm. long, and shorter than the inner bract, small, perianth ap- 

 parently only 6—10 mm. long, with the divisions not emarginatc 

 but narrowed to a short- aristulate tip, faded but appearing white, 

 though in one flower showing the faintest tinge of violet; column 

 becoming 5 mm. long : immature capsules narrowly obovoid- 

 oblong, evidently large and apparently obovoid at maturit}^ the 

 oldest one 6 mm. long and 4 mm. wide at the top. ' 



