348 Bickxell: Studies ix Sisyrixchium 



leaves from .75-1.5 mm. wide, the spathes abruptly broader than 

 the stems and with the outer bracts unusually slender and elon- 

 gated ; the blue flowers are rather small and delicate. Some of 

 these specimens seem to be scarcely if at all glaucous and with 

 thinner leaves and bracts than other forms ; the stems are mostly 

 only narrowly winged. . . 



Sisyrinchium heterocarpum sp; nov. 



Apparently but little tufted, bright green or yellowish green, 

 glaucous, stiff and erect, 20-30 cm. high ; roots pale, fleshy, taper- 

 ing from thickened bases sometimes 2 mm. wide. Leaves half the 

 height of the stem or longer, 1-2 mm. wide, tapering, acute, the 

 edges smooth: stem 1-1.5 mm. wide, narrowly winged, the edges 

 smooth or bearing some minute harsh points towards the base: 

 spathes sometimes sHghtly purplish tinged, erect, narrow, some- 

 times scarcely exceeding the width of the stem, sometimes becom- 



^^S 2-3 mm. wide about the middle ; inner bract often weakly de- 



incd 



usually to the acute apex; outer bract 2.5-4.5 cm. long, above 

 slender and acute, surpassing the inner bract 1-2.5 cm., the lower 

 margins hyaline, united for 3-5 mm. at base : perianth violet- 

 purple, about 10 mm. long; stamineal columns mm. high : cap- 

 sules of two kinds, terminal and basal, the latter more or less con- 

 cealed among the bases of the leaves, those from the terminal 

 spathes few, 1-4, pale, subglobose or sometimes obovoid, rather 

 la^ge, 5-7 mm. high on erect scarcely exserted pedicels only 10-20 

 mm. long; basal capsules 2-4, on slender erect pedicels 2.5-3-5 

 cm, long, obovoid-pyriform, 7-10 mm. long from the narrowed 

 base, 4-5 mm. wide, rather thinner walled than the terminal ones 

 and more or less transversely corrugate conformably with the posi- 

 tion of the seeds, a feature less evident In the terminal capsules : 

 seeds (not quite mature) black, obovoid-subglobose, angled and 

 rugulose-pltted, stipitate, i mm. in diameter. 



veloped or inconspicuous, 1.5-2 cm. lon^, scarious-niarg 



Wyoming: Cummins, July 30, 1895, in full flower and with 

 immature fruit; Table Mountain, June 30, 1895,. in full flower 

 and with immature fruit ; Dubois, August 1 o, 1 894, nearly ma- 

 ture fruit and immature flower buds. 



An interesting plant known only from the collections of Pi'O" 

 fessor Aven Nelson. In general aspect of leaf and stem it closely 



evidently nearly allied. 



tifoliuui 



The development of basal flowers and fruit is an unexpected 



