The Species of Texas and the Southwest 585 



/i 7. Sisyrinchium Brayi sp. nov. 



Growing in stiff tufts of many erectly-ascending stems about 

 15 cm. high, dull green and glaucescent much darkened when 

 dry ; roots simple, becoming stiff and wiry. Basal leaves rather 

 few, the longer ones nearly equalling the tufts, firmly erect or as- 

 cending, often somewhat curved, 1-2 mm. wide, narrowly very 

 acute, the edges smooth or minutely denticulate especially towards 

 the apex ; stem leaves mostly broader, often incurved, equalling 

 the peduncles or nearly so : stems stiff and narrow especially to- 

 wards the base, often outcurved below, 1— 1. 5 mm. wide, narrowly 

 margined, the edges cartilaginous and finely erect-denticulate ; 

 nodes 1-2, the lower one mostly below the middle and bearing 

 1-2 erect peduncles, the internodes often forming a stiff double 

 curve with the lower stem and peduncles ; peduncles from the 

 upper node 2-4, usually unequal and diverging or curved, 3-8 cm. 

 long, stiff, and slender, denticulate-roughened or smooth ; spathes 

 narrowly oblong, about 1.5 cm. long; bracts mostly subequal, 

 very acute, firmly membranous and finely many-nerved, the keels 

 mostly denticulate-roughened ; margins of outer bract conspic- 

 uously white-hyaline, united about 3 mm. at base, those of the 

 inner bract broadly white-hyaline nearly to the apex ; scales silvery- 

 brownish, but little shorter than the bracts; flowers on erect ped- 

 icles subequal with the bracts, violet-blue; perianth about I o mm. 

 long, the oblong segments delicately firm-nerved, almost subspinu- 

 lose, short-aristulate, not emarginate ; column 3-4 mm. high ; an- 

 thers nearly 2 mm. long ; ovary glabrous ; capsules apparently 

 very small and trilobulate, subglobose, the valves definitely tri- 

 nervate. 



Virginia Point, opposite Galveston, Texas, April 20, 1899, Prof. 

 W. L. Bray, " flat coast prairie, making blue patches for many 



acres. 



>> 



Apparently between 



# 



from the former in non-spreading habit, stifter, less branched stems, 

 shorter pedicels, glabrous ovary and much smaller trinervate cap- 

 sule. Though most like this species in general appearance the 

 plant seems to be in much closer affinity with the much more 

 diverse appearing S. colubrifcrum. From the latter it differs in 

 lesser size, stiffer, less branched habit, darker color when dry, 

 much narrower and less leafy stems, much narrower and firmer 

 leaves and rather smaller flowers with narrower more firmly nerved 

 and non-emarginate perianth segments. 



Named for the collector, Prof. W. L. Bray, who has supplied 

 me with specimens of several of the species here described. 



