240 Bicknell : Studies in Sisyrinchium 



Newfoundland : Banks of the Salmonier River, Aug. 26, 

 1899, B. L. Robinson and H. Schrenck, no. 129, Flora of New- 

 foundland, nearly mature fruit and some remaining flowers. 



Quebec : Coast of Gaspe, Aug. 12, 1882, moist meadows, John 

 Macoun ; in flower and with young fruit. 



Ontario : Near Niagara Falls, June 25, 1892, in grassy woods, 

 John Macoun ; flowers and young fruit. 



Sisyrinchium angustifolium Miller 



This is the most characteristic and generally distributed species 

 of British America, ranging from Newfoundland quite across into 

 British Columbia and north to the Mackenzie River. No eastern 

 specimens have come to hand from farther north than Newfound- 

 land and Riviere du Loup, Quebec. I have elsewhere pointed out 

 that specimens from west of Ontario differ in some rather striking 

 particulars from the more eastern plant, being stiffer and more 

 glaucous with the edges of leaves and stem often quite smooth 

 and with leaves of thicker texture and closer venation and with the 

 primary bract usually more slenderly prolonged. Eastern speci- 

 mens often show a discoloration on the herbarium sheet in marked 

 contrast with most western examples. It is quite possible that 

 these differences point to two distinct species which a full series 

 of specimens with well-preserved flowers and mature fruit would 

 make it possible to segregate. The western plant itself exhibits a 

 great amount of variation, and certain specimens from Banff, Al- 

 berta, appear almost distinct. They are very glaucous and ex- 

 tremely slender and tall, becoming 50 cm. high with the narrow 

 outer bract two to three times the length of the inner one, even 

 becoming 6 cm. long ; the slender pedicels become 28 mm. long, 

 and are more than usually exserted; the flowers appear to be rather 

 small and of very delicate texture with an unusual extension of 

 the yellow center along the midvein of the segments. 



The species crosses the Rocky mountains into British Colum- 

 bia, extending further west than I have yet had it from the United 

 States where Madison County, Montana (Rydberg), limits its west- 

 ern record as far as known. 



In Newfoundland and Nova Scotia the species comes into 

 flower from late in June till the middle of July, a month to six 



