014 



BiCKNELT. : Sruniiis in Sisykincihum 



obovoid-oblon*^, 4—6 mm. hi^h, on erect, more or less exserted 



pedicels slightly spreading above ; seeds numerous, very small, 

 .05- T mm. in diameter, black, alveolate, umbilicate. 



Missrssii'iM : ?etit Bois Island, May 8, 1898, with mature fruit, 



S. M. Tracy, 



I 



A very slender species especiall}' characterized by flexuously 

 elongated stems and leaves, peculiar!}' thickened nodes, scarious- 

 obtuse bracts and very small seeds. It aj)pears to be nearest to 

 S, AtlaiiiicuDi^ but possesses many points of difference. In addi- 

 tion to those above referred to ma\' be noted its less glaucous 

 character, firmer and more wir)- and subterete narrowly margined 

 stem, narrower spathes of stiffer, less membranous, and more 

 closely striate-nerved bracts, larger capsules. In the two scant 

 specimens, which alone have afforded the outlines of the species, 

 the shortened and scarious-obtuse, outer bract appears to represent 

 a perfectly normal condition; should it prove to be constant it will 

 afford a unique distificti\-c character among our species. 



Sisyrinchium Tracyi 



Pale green and slight!)' glaucescent, discoloring somewhat 

 in dr}'ing, rather stout and stiff, 35-70 cm. high, bearing some 

 loose stiff fibers about the base but not densely fibrose-coatcd ; 

 leavTS "about ^/^ the height of the plant or longer, firm and erect, 

 1—3 mm. wide, close-striate, becoming faintl}' rugulose, tapering- 

 acute, verv smooth throu<^hout : stems rigid, straiG'ht or out- 



curved, 1.5-3 J"*"^^^- ^vide, subterete and narrow!}' firm margined, 

 very smooth ; inflorescence stiff and, at least in its early stage, 

 appearing somewhat contractcd-sub-paniculate, the lower node 

 bearir.g one to three erect peduncles and one or two stiff, mostly 

 short branches supj^iorting a cluster of 3 or 4 peduncles ; branches 

 subterete and mercl}' margined, smooth or obscurely denticulate, 

 erect or ascending, 4—9 cm. long, the peduncles slender but stiff, 

 approximate, those from the upper nodes 3-5 cm. long ; lower 

 bractcal leaf elongated and erect, equaling its inflorescence or 

 shorter, sometimes 16 cm. long ;' upper bracteal leaves short and 

 stiff: spathes green, sometimes sHghtly deflected from the abruptly 

 .constricted top of the peduncle, about 3 mm. wide, the flattened 

 base rather sharply two-edged, the bracts strongl}^ close-striate, 

 subequal, 15—22 mm. long, the outer one herl:>aceous or abruptly 

 short-acuminate, the margins whitc-h}'aline, united clasi^ng below 

 for aljout 5 nun., the iimer bi'act mostly apiculate from a thin 

 'scarious-obtuse or truncate apex ; interior-scales silvery white,. 



