592 Bickxell : Studies in Sisyrinchium 



slender, pale and fibrillate. Stems from 5-25 cm. long, branched 

 and leafy from near the base, more or less flexuose and geniculate 

 from node to node as are the longer branches, the nodes 2-6, the 

 branches and peduncles more or less outcurved or diverging. 

 Leaves very thin, semi-transparent, delicately nerved, the main 

 nerves rather distant, the faint alternating series often in groups of 

 two or three and with scattered cross-reticulations, 2-7 cm. long, 

 1-4 mm. wide, the edges denticulate-roughened to serrulate, acu- 

 minate ; stem-leaves often incurved-subfalcate ; basal leaves few 

 and early withering : stem merely margined or narrowly winged, 

 gometimes almost subterete at base, the edges denticulate-rough- 

 ened to smooth ; peduncles short, 2-6 cm. long, the ultimate ones 

 a diverging pair or solitary ; spathes flattened, the bracts very 

 unequal, somewhat abruptly acute or obtusely pointed, the outer 

 one leaf-like, 13-35 mm. long, the edges white-hyaline below, 

 connate for 3-5 mm. at base; inner bract 10-20 mm. long, less 

 foliaceous than the outer one ; scales short, commonly less than 

 half the length of the shorter bract, brownish-tinged ; flowers 2-6 

 on hair-like, slightly exserted peduncles, mostly flexuously spread- 

 ing above ; perianth very small, 5-6 mm. long, said to be reddish- 

 purple or yellowish-white, usually colorless in dried specimens, 

 the segments not usually emarginate, slenderly acuminate and 

 aristulate, delicately 3-5-nerved ; stamineal-column 2.5-3 mm. 

 high; anthers .05 mm. long: ovary thinly puberulent; capsules 

 light brown, corrugate from the narrow rows of 4-6 seeds, oblong, 

 3-5 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide ; seeds very small, black, subglobose 

 to ellipsoid, 5.0- 75 mm. in diameter, strongly pitted, umbilicate. 



Eastern and central Texas to Louisiana, in damp soil and low 

 prairies, flowering in March and April. Apparently the commonest 

 species of Texas. 



Texas: Bexar county, San Antonio, V. Havard, 1884; Gil- 

 lespie county, G. Jermy ; Brazoria county, Columbia, B. F. Bush, 

 1899 ; Win. M. Canby, 1900; Chenango, Bush, 1899; Fort Bend 

 county, Richmond, W. F. Bray, 1899; Harris county, Houston, 

 Elihu Hall, 1892, no. 637 ; Harris county, Harrisburg, I. F. Ivor, 

 1875; Hockley, T. W. Thurow, 1893; M. A. Carleton, 1891 I 

 Dallas county, Dallas, J. Reverchon, Curtiss, North Am. Plants, 

 no. 2860; J. Reverchon, 1874, 1880; also Lindheimer, 1844, na 

 313 ; Drummond, no. 408 ; Mex. Boundary Survey, no. 1445- 



Louisiana: Baton Rouge, 1874, C. F. Good. 



