376 Bicknell : Species of the Genus Hydastylus 



cent, turning dark or often quite black on the herbarium sheet 

 and readily staining a deep purple, roots spreading from a weak 

 descending rootstock. Leaves thin and rather openly weak- 

 nerved, mostly about half the height of the stem but sometimes 

 equaling it, obtusely pointed, commonly 2—4 mm. wide (1.5—7 

 mm.) : stem usually 2-3 mm. wide, sometimes broadly wing- 

 flattened and becoming 6 mm. wide, the edges like those of the 

 leaves smooth or obscurely serrulate-roughened : spathes erect, 

 3—8 mm. wide in pressed specimens ; outer bract 20-52 cm. long, 

 narrowed to an obtuse point, occasionally subequal with the inner 

 one but usually slightly surpassing it and sometimes as much as 

 20 mm. longer, the margins below narrowly hyaline, often 

 purplish, united-clasping for 5-10 mm. ; inner bract 20—35 mm. 

 long, white-scarious and obtuse or obtusely pointed at the apex ; 

 interior scales brownish hyaline, often slightly exserted : flowers 

 5—7, on erect pedicels 20-40 mm. long, usually a little surpassing 

 the bracts, at least the inner ones, and sometimes exserted as 

 much as 10 mm. ; perianth bright yellow, 12-18 mm. long, the 

 oblong obtuse or acutish segments with 5—7 black or dark brown 

 nerves which often become tortuous or crinkled when dry: sta- 

 mens about 7 mm. high, subequal with or surpassing the style 

 branches, the narrow versatile anthers orange-yellow, 3.5-5 mm. 

 long: capsules on erect pedicels, at maturity 7.5—12 mm. long, 

 6-8 mm. wide, trigonous-obovoid or ellipsoid, becoming very 

 dark : seeds numerous, 1.2 5-1. 5 mm. in diameter, black, strongly 

 pitted, excavated-umbilicate. 



Coast region of California, in marshes, perhaps exclusively 

 within maritime influence, from San Diego to Mendocino County, 

 flowering from April to June. 



San Diego, Pac. R. R. Rept. 1. c. 



Monterey Co., C. C. Parry, M.D., April, 1850, in full flower, 

 type of 5. lincatam Torrey ; Mrs. Rich, on sheet with type ; Herb. 



Columbia. 



Near the 35th parallel, Dr. J. M. Bigelow, Whipple's expedi- 

 tion, 1853-4. 



Contra Costa Co., Antioch, Dr. A. Kellogg, April 21, 1870, 

 just in flower. 



Sax Francisco, Mrs. Brandegee ; Kellogg and G. W. Har- 

 ford, 1868; Kellogg, 1866; Presidio, 1887, Edward L. Greene- 



San Mateo Co., Crystal Springs, April, 1896, Miss Alice East- 

 wood. 



Sonoma Co., Michener and Bioletti, 1892; Bodega Point, 



Eastwood. 



