equitant portion (about two thirds the total leaf length), the basal equitant 

 portion stramineous, brownish or pinkish, narrowing more or less gradually to an 

 abrupt slightly incurved tip, the surface smooth or slightly papillose, the margins 

 papillose and rather harshly scabrous; sheaths of the scapes from one third to 

 nearly as long as the principal leaves, rather loosely investing the scape except 

 for a distal bladelike portion, their bases usually lustrous, stramineous to castane- 

 ous; scape (1.5-) 7-10 dm. long, twisted but rarely flexuous, many ribbed below, 

 becoming flattened and 2-edged above; spikes at seed bearing time ellipsoidal to 

 lance-ovoid, 1-3 cm. long, of many tightly imbricated bracts; fertile bracts 

 broadly obovate to suborbicular, 5-8 mm. long, not keeled, the apex rounded, 

 the exposed margin subentire or erose with age, the matrix reddish-brown or 

 pale-brown, the dorsal area roughly rectangular and olive to dark-brown; lateral 

 sepals included, curvate, dark-lustrous-brown, the thickened keel nearly as broad 

 as the sepal sides and ciliate-scabrid; petal blades obovate, about 8 mm. long, 

 unfolding in morning; seeds ellipsoid to broadly ovoid, caudate at one end, 0.5- 

 0.6 mm. long, lustrous, with 20 or 22 distinct papillose longitudinal lines and 

 several faint cross lines. 



Moist sands or sandy-peats of bog margins, savannahs, pine flatwoods, lake 

 shores and roadside ditches in e. Tex., May-July; in Coastal Plain from Va. s. 

 to Fla. and w. to Tex. 



3. Xjris caroliniana Walt. Fig. 298. 



Solitary or in small tufts, the bases deeply set in the substrate; outer leaves 

 scaly, castaneous; principal leaves linear, 2-5 dm. long, 2-5 mm. broad, twisted 

 and flexuous, fleshy, minutely tuberculate along the margins, otherwise smooth 

 and lustrous, blunt to acute at tip, the base abruptly dilated, dark-brown, shiny, 

 long-persistent as scales; sheaths of the scapes shorter than the leaves, tight below, 

 loose toward the oblique orifice which is tipped by a short (2-4 mm.) blade; 

 scapes linear, 5-1 1 dm. long, twisted, flexuous, smooth, terete and minutely ridged 

 below, becoming oval in cross section and smooth to 1 -ridged above, the ridges 

 (if present) minutely tuberculate; spikes (13-) 15-30 mm. long, elliptic to nar- 

 rowly oblanceolate in outline, blunt to broadly acute, of few to many closely 

 imbricate bracts; fertile bracts 5-10 (-13) mm. long, oblong to obovate, entire 

 or emarginate, becoming erose, the matrix reddish-brown to tan with an elliptic 

 or rectangular gray-green or brown dorsal area; lateral sepals linear, slightly to 

 conspicuously exserted, tan to reddish-brown with a broad keel which is entire 

 below but fimbriate at its exserted apex; petal blades obovate, 8-9 mm. long, 

 yellow or white, in most populations opening in the afternoon; seeds fusiform, 

 narrow, 0.8-1 mm. long, translucent, with about 20 pale longitudinal lines, the 

 vertical lines not evident. X. flexiiosa Muhl., X. torta Kunth, X. arenicola Small. 



Moist sands of pine flatwoods or savannahs, in well-drained sands or lower 

 reaches of scrub oak-pine barrens in e. Tex., June-Aug.; from N. J. s. to Fla. and 

 w. to Tex. 



4. Xyris platylepis Chapm. Fig. 299. 



Solitary or in small tufts, the bases shallowly set on the substrate, perennating 

 by means of pale fleshy lateral buds; outer leaves scaly, pinkish, becoming dull- 

 gray-brown; principal leaves linear, 2-4 (-5) dm. long, 5-10 mm. broad, twisted, 

 ascending, flexuous, fleshy, minutely tuberculate or smooth along the margin, 

 otherwise smooth, blunt to acute at tip; equitant portion of leaves dilated, fleshy, 

 ivory-white or pink or purplish toward the base; sheaths of the scape shorter than 

 the leaves, castaneous or pale-brown and tight toward the base, more lax toward 

 the oblique short bladed orifice; scapes 5-11 dm. long, twisted, flexuous, smooth 

 to minutely ridged and terete below, oval in cross section and smooth to 1- 



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