IXIACEAE 303 



over with minute whitish points. Leaves about f the height of the plant ; blades 1-3.5 

 mm. wide, rather thin, the edge.s smooth : scapes 1-2.5 mm. wide, sometimes rather broadly 

 thin-winged ; nodes 1-2, the first one usually low on the scape : peduncles 2-3 together, 

 straight and slender, ,5-12 cm. long, surpassing the bracteal leaves, sometimes longer than 

 the main scape : spathes narrow, the bracts slenderly sharp-attenuate, delicately many- 

 nerved, the usually longer outer one 1.5-3 cm. long : flowers on hair-like, ',flexuously much 

 exserted and recurved pedicels : perianth violet-blue, with a broad pale yellow center, 10 

 mm. long or more : ovary glabrous. 



In woods and on prairies, Dallas, Texas. Spring. 



44. Sisyrinchium longipedunculatum Bicknell. Plants pale green and glaucescent, 

 about 5 dm. tall, the roots rather few and coarse. Leaves dry and stiff, over half the 

 height of the plant ; blades 2-4' mm. wide, firmly close-nerved, slenderly attenuate, the 

 sharp edges close-serrulate : scapes few or solitary, 2.5 mm. wide, stiff, the wing-margins 

 sharp-serrulate : bracteal leaf much shorter than the 2 very long slender peduncles which 

 are sometimes 1.8 dm. long: spathes about 2.6 cm. long, very narrow, almost subterete, 

 the stiff, obscurely nerved nearly equal bracts cuspidate-acute : capsules pale brown, on 

 nearly erect, slightly exserted pedicels, large, obovoid-oblong, becoming 7.5 mm. high: 

 seeds 1.5-2 mm. in longer diameter, at length smooth and somewhat shining. 



In dry soil, Gaudaloupe Mountains, and probably further east, Texas. Spring. 



45. Sisyrinchium ensigerum Bicknell. Plants stiff and pale glaucous-green, dry- 

 ing pale, 1-4 dm. high. Leaf-blades 1.5-4 mm. wide, often ensiform and outcurved, firmly 

 close-nerved, the edges, usually serrulate : scapes rigid, erect or outcurved, sometimes 

 branched, 1.5-3.5 mm. wide, the firm wing-margins rough-serrulate: peduncles 2-4 to- 

 gether, short or long, stout or slender : spathes mostly 2-2.5 cm. long, but sometimes much 

 longer, the outer bract even 4.5 cm. long, broadly flattened or narrow, the stiff thickish 

 bracts strongly nerved, mostly attenuate : flowers on pedicels equalling or longer than the 

 bracts: perianth pale violet-blue, 1-1.5 cm. long: staminal column about 5 mm. high: 

 ovary puberulent : capsules pale and rather thick- walled, 4.5-5 mm. high. 



On prairies, south-central to northwestern Texas. Spring. 



46. Sisyrinchium varians Bicknell. Plants erect or ascending, 1.5-3 dm. tall, light 

 green and glaucescent, often discoloring somewhat when dry. Leaves rather thin and soft 

 to firm ; blades 1.5-4 mm. wide, the nerves evident, the edges smooth : bracteal leaves 

 often much elongated : scapes 1.5-3 mm. wide, narrowly winged, the edges smooth to den- 

 ticulate ; nodes 1-3 : peduncles 2-3 together : spathes mostly narrow, the somewhat un- 

 equal bracts finely many-nerved, the longer outer one 2-3 cm. long or sometimes more, 

 narrowly acute or more foliaceous and somewhat incurved : flowers on slightly exserted 

 pedicels : perianth light-blue, 8-13 mm. long : staminal column 4-5 mm. high : ovary 

 glabrous. 



On prairies, central and eastern Texas and the Indian Territory. Spring. 



47. Sisyrinchium amo^num Bicknell. Plants erect in many-scaped tufts, becom- 

 ing 3 dm. tall, or more, yellowish green and glaucescent, brownish green when dry, the 

 spathes mostly purplish. Leaves often equalling the scrapes, not rigid ; blades 1-3 mm. 

 wide, flne-nerved, the edges smooth : scapes narrowly winged, 1-2 mm. wide, the edges 

 mostly smooth, usually two-branched from about the middle, each branch bearing 2-4 

 shorter peduncles : lower bracteal leaf elongated : peduncles mostly short and somewhat 

 curved : spathes 15-18 mm. long, the bracts subequal, short-attenuate, finely close-nerved, 

 the interior scales little shorter : flowers rather large : perianth deep purple-blue, about 12 

 mm. long on an erect pedicel equalling the bracts : staminal column 5 mm. high : ovary 

 glabrous. 



On prairies, eastern Texas. Spring. 



48. Sisyrinchium Brayi Bicknell. Plants stiff, erectly ascending, about 1.5 dm. tall, 

 much darkened when dry. Leaves nearly equalling the scape, firm ; blades often curved, 

 1-2 mm. wide, smooth or minutely denticulate : scapes often outcurved below, 1-1.5 mm. 

 wide, narrowly margined, the edges cartilaginous and denticulate ; nodes 1 or 2, the lower 

 mostly below the middle : peduncles solitary or 2-4 together, stiff' and slender, 3-8 cm. 

 long: spathes narrowly oblong, about 1.5 cm. long, the subequal bracts firmly membra- 

 nous and finely many-nerved, very acute, the interior scales but little shorter : flowers on 

 erect pedicels subequal with the bracts : perianth bright-blue, about 10 mm. long : ovary 

 glabrous : capsules apparently very small, the valves 3-nerved. 



On prairies, eastern Texas. Spring. 



49. Sisyrinchium furcatum Bicknell. Plant forming close many-scaped tufts, 10-20 

 cm. high, bright yellowish green, turning duller or brownish, the spathes and nodes usually 

 purplish. Leaf -blades 0.5-2 mm. wide, closely striate-nerved, the edges mostly smooth. 



