580 Bicknell : Studies in Sisyrinchium 



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' 1 1. Sisyrinchium ensigerum sp. nov. 



Stiff, and very pale glaucous-green, mostly remaining pale 

 when dry, 15-30 cm. or becoming 40 cm. high, the slender roots 

 simple and wiry. Stems few, rigid, erector divergently outcurved, 

 mostly longer than the peduncles, when outcurved usually genic- 

 ulate midway at the node, when erect often developing two approx- 

 imate branches, 1.5-3.5 mm. wide, the firm wing-margins striate 

 and rough-serrulate or even cartilaginous ciliolate ; peduncles 2-4, 

 approximate or diverging, 5-13 cm. long, mostly 1-2 mm. wide, 

 the wing-margins erose-denticulate to serrulate ; basal leaves usu- 

 ally over half the height of the plant, stiff and more or less ensi- 

 form and outcurved to straight and erect, 1.5-4 mm. wide, firmly 

 close-nerved, the edges usually fine-serrulate, at least towards the 

 very acute apex ; stem-leaves firm and erect, more or less ensi- 

 form, tapering-acute, longer or shorter than the peduncles, the 

 united base prominently strong-nerved and oppositely bicarinate ; 

 spathes mostly 2-2.5 cm. long, sometimes larger and stouter, 

 broadly flattened or narrow, the stiff thickish bracts strongly nerved, 

 mostly stiffly attenuate and acute, the slender tips often outcurved, 

 the keels serrulate, subequal or the outer one longer, the latter 

 usually widened below and connate for 2-4 mm. at base, narrowly 

 white-margined ; scales silvery -white, about three-quarters the 

 length of the bracts : flowers on slender pedicels equaling or 

 longer than the bracts, erect or slightly spreading above ; perianth 



rather pale violet-blue, 10-15 mm. long, the rather broad segments 



rounded or slightly retuse at the apex and short aristulate ; stam 

 ineal column 4.5-5.5 mm < high; anthers small and pale, 1—1*5 

 mm. long; ovary glandular-puberulent; capsules, when not fully 

 mature, 2.5-5 mm. long, obovoid-subglobose, pale and rather 

 thick -walled, the valves developing lateral veins. 



From south-central to northeastern Texas, flowering in March 

 and April. 



Bexar county, San Antonio, G. Jermy, type in Biltmore herb.; 

 V. Havard, April, 1884, herb. Gray; Gillespie county, G. Jermy, 

 herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.; Hamilton county, J. Reverchon, 1885, 

 herb. Gray; Travis county, Austin, April 2, 1898, W. L. Bray; 

 April 18, 1898, A. A. Heller, no. 114; McLennan county, Waco, 

 Sara A. Trimble, 1887, herb. Columbia Univ.; Shackleford 

 county, Holstein, April 10, 1883, hert >- Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.; 

 Young county, Belknap, March, 1858, Sutton Hayes, herb. N. 

 Y. Bot. Gard.; Tom Green county, San Angelo, May 19, 1899, 

 W. L. Bray; G. C. Neally, 1892, no. 103. 



