IXIACEAE 301 



broadly oblong, 2.5-5 mm. high, dark and thick-walled : seeds globose, 1 mm. in diameter, 

 faintly pitted or almost smooth. 



In sand or sandy soil, Florida and Alabama. Spring. 



31. Sisyrinchium AtlAnticum Bicknell. Plants tufted, pale and glaucous, 2-6 dm. 

 tall. Leaves commonly much shorter than the scapes, firm ; blades like the scapes mostly 

 1 mm. wide or less and smooth-edged : scapes wiry and narrowly firm-margined : nodes 1 

 or 2 bearing narrow bracteal leaves and usually two slender peduncles : spathes often pur- 

 plish, 10-16 ram. long, the subequal bracts thin, the outer one acute, the inner mostly 

 scarious-obtuse, longer than the interior scales : perianth violet-blue, 8-10 mm. long : cap- 

 sules oblong to subglobose, dark, thick-walled, 2-4 ram. high, on erect little exserted pedi- 

 cels : seeds numerous, 0.5-1 mm. in diameter, finely wrinkled-pitted to nearly smooth. 



In salt marshes or in sandy soil, mostly near the coast, Maine to Florida. 



32. Sisyrinchium fl6xile Bicknell. Plants tall and very slender, becoming 5 dm. tall or 

 more, pale green but scarcely glaucous. Leaves long, the longer ones equalling the scapes, 

 stiff, becoming flexuous ; blades about 1.5 nini. wide, closely few-striate, very smooth, the 

 tijjs finally hardened : scapes flexuous, subterete and narrowly firm-margined : nodes 1 or 

 2, bearing narrow bracteal leaves and nearly terete peduncles 3-7 cm. long, mostly in pairs : 

 spathes 1.5 cm. long or more, narrow, subterete at the base, the stiff, subequal bracts closely 

 striate, their tips acute or narrowly scarious-obtuse : capsules brown, rather thick-walled", 

 broadly oblong, 4-6 mra. high on erect somewhat exserted pedicels: seeds numerous, 0.5-1 

 mm. in diameter, alveolate. 



Along the coast, Mississippi. Spring. 



33. Sisyrinchium violaceum Bicknell. Plants light green, drying yellowish and 

 brownish, the roots rather thick. Leaves erect or firmly ascending, mostly ^ the height of 

 the scapes or less ; blades 1-2.5 mm. wide, strongly nerved : scapes 1.5-2.0 dm. high or 

 finally 3.5 dm. high, 1-2 mm. wide, stift', narrowly firm-margined, the edges smooth : 

 peduncles terminal, 2-3, unequal, 4-8 cm. long, the bracteal leaf short and stifily erect : 

 spathes 1.5-3.0 cm. long, the bracts subequal, firmly nerved and finely puncticulate, acute 

 or the inner one obtuse : flowers pale violet, rather large, on pedicels subequal with the 

 bracts : perianth 1-1.5 cm. long : staminal column 5 mm. high or more : capsules dark, 

 thick-walled, ovoid-subglobose, 2-3 ram. high : seeds few, 1 mm. in diameter or more, ru- 

 gulose-ydtted. 



In woods, Walton County, Florida,. Summer. 



34. Sisyrinchium nanum Bicknell. Plants low and stiff, 1.2 dm. tall or more, pale 

 and glaucous, not fibi-ose at the base. Leaves sometimes equalling tlie scapes ; blades 1-2 

 mm. wide, close-striate : scapes stifl". with firm narrow margins, the edges smooth : 

 peduncles one or more, short: spathes about 1.5 cm. long, the bracts closely striate, the 

 outer bract acute, sometimes shorter than the scarious-obtuse inner one : flowers on slightly 

 exserted pedicels : perianth bright violet-blue, about 10 mm. long : staminal column 4 mm. 

 high or less. 



Along the coast, Mississippi. Late spring and early summer. 



35. Sisyrinchium Tracyi Bicknell. Plants slightly glaucescent, discoloring somewhat 

 when dry, rather stout, stiff', 3.5-7 dm. high. Leaves f the height of the plant or more ; 

 blades 1-3 mm. wide, close-striate : scapes rigid, often curved, narrowly firm-margined, 

 like the leaves very smooth and as wide : inflorescence stiff' and often contracted, from 2 

 nodes, the lower one often bearing 1 or 2 short branches : peduncles mostly in clusters of 

 3's-4's, slender, stiff, approximate, the upper 3-5 cm. long : lower bracteal leaf elongated : 

 bracts of the spathe strongly close-striate, subequal, 15-22 mm. long, the outer one often 

 abruptly short-acuminate, the inner mostly scarious-obtuse: flowers on scarcely exserted 

 pedicels : perianth violet-blue, 10-12 mm. long, with long-aristulate sepals and petals : 

 staminal column 5-6 cm. high. 



In sandy soil, southern Mississippi. Spring. 



36. Sisyrinchium scoparium Bicknell. Plants pale and glaucous, in close tufts 

 1.5-5 dm. high. Leaves very slender, equalling the shorter scapes ; blades 1-1.75 mm. 

 wide, the edges mostly smooth : scapes narrowly wing-margined : inflorescence sometimes 

 scant but often appearing dense from the numerous clustered scapes, mostly arising from 2 

 nodes each bearing a short bracteal leaf and 2-3 somewhat diverging usually short pedun- 

 cles : spathes 1.2-1.8 era. long, the subequal bracts striate-nerved, acuminate : perianth 

 violet-blue, 8-10 mm. long: staminal column about 4 rani, high: capsules clustered on 

 pedicels about equal with the bracts, dark, thick-walled, remaining slightly puberulent at 

 maturity, 2-5 mm. high : seeds 1 mm. in diameter, llnely pitted. 



On or near the coast, Mississippi. Spring. 



