498 



BicKNELL : Studies in Sisvkixchium 



discoloration as S. gj-avnuoidcs and might be easily passed over 

 for that species, but a moment's attention will discover that \\\c. 

 plant is more cacspitose and stifler in habit than S. grauiinoidcs 

 with narrower and more attenuate leaves which are thicker and 

 more strongly striate ; other evident differences are shorter, fre- 

 quently clustered peduncles, stiffcr and more striate bracts, more 

 numerous flowers and smaller capsules on less exserted and spread- 

 ing pedicels. 



As compared with S. Atlanticum, S. mcnicola is stouter and 

 stiffer, never developing a flexuous prolongation of the stem from 



a lower node, and having mucli less membranous bracts which are 

 decidedly more striate-nerv^ed and acuminate, also the capsules are 



relatively more subglobose and the seeds larger. Perhaps 



the 



most evident feature of contrast between the two plants is in color, 

 the rather deep green of S, aroncola producing a very different 

 general effect from the very pale glaucous-green of S. Atlanticunu 

 It should also be noted that the flowering period of .S". arcnicola 

 is considerabl}^ later than that of .V. Atlanticuni or S, graniinoidcs. 



Sisyrinchium intermedium 



Dull green, sometimes not even glaucescent, turning dark in 

 drying, the spathes purple or occasionally green : tufts not fibrous 

 at base, 15-35 cm. liigh, the stems often numerous, the clustered 

 roots numerous and slender : leaves erect, about half the height 

 of the tufts, 1.5-2.5 mm. wide, attenuate and cuspidate-acute, thin 

 and grass-like, the delicate nerves usually with a fainter alternating 

 series, the tissue between minutely cellular-puncticulate, the q.^^q.^ 



minutely serrulate or even subciliolate-serrulate to smooth ; young 

 leaves sometimes roughened on the sides with minute pohits : 

 stems very straight, frail, mostly 1.5 mm. wide (1-2.5 mm.), the 

 thin wings with closely fmC-serrulate edges and nerved like the 

 leaves, usually much broader than the very narrow raised line of 

 the proper stem; stems in some tufts all or nearly all simple, 

 in others mostly forked at the top into two or even three 

 pedunculate spathes subtended by a rather longer erect bracted 

 leaf; peduncles 3-7 cm. long, often roughened on the sides 

 with minute points, the outer one somewhat divergently out- 

 curved, usually slendeV but distinctly winged, the wings serrulate, 

 gradually widened into the base of the spathe : spathes narrow, 

 sometimes not wider than the stem, erect, flattened and rather 

 sharply two-edged, the sides narrowed to the base and margined 



