2 to 6 in an umbel, essentially sessile; spathe valves broadly lanceolate, acuminate, 

 5-9 cm. long; perianth tube very slender, greenish, 10-12 cm. long; perianth 

 segments much shorter than the tube, to about 15 mm. wide; stamens spreading, 

 prominent; capsule globose, about 3 cm. in diameter, strongly beaked. 



In swamps, marshes, edge of water in ditches and lakes, in s.e. and s.-coastal 

 Tex., May-Nov.; from Fla. and Ga. to Tex. 



2. Crinum strictum Herb. 



Bulb small, ovoid, without a distinct neck; leaves 6, evergreen, suberect, to 

 about 4 dm. long and 5 cm. wide, narrowly linear-lanceolate, bluntly acute at 

 apex, with hyaline margins that are minutely toothed at varying intervals to 8 

 mm. apart; scape flattish, with rounded edges, rusty-reddish in lower third, to 3 

 dm. long; spathe valves lanceolate, the margins infolded, streaked reddish over 

 moderate yellow-green, to 9 cm. long and 25 mm. wide at base, tapering to a 

 bluntly acute to truncately notched apex; umbel 3- or 4-flowered; buds creamy- 

 white streaked reddish for the most part on outside, upright at first then nodding 

 slightly below; flowers fragrant, on pedicels 3-4 mm. long; perianth tube perma- 

 nently slightly curved in upper fourth, 85 mm. long, 5-7 mm. in diameter; 

 perianth segments white and streaked reddish on outer surface, narrowly lanceo- 

 late, acute-apiculate, about 11 cm. long and 15 mm. wide; stamens and styles red 

 in upper three-fourths, prominently exserted; stamens 65 mm. long; anthers 13 

 mm. long; ovary oblong, 14 cm. long, about 9 mm. in diameter; style 32 mm. 

 longer than the stamens; stigma minute. 



In wet soils, rare in s.e. Tex. 



Var. Traubii Moldenke differs from var. strictum in its 7-flowered umbel, 

 longer foliage that is deeper green in color, and flowers not so erect. Occurring 

 with the species. 



Fam. 37. Iridaceae Juss. Iris Family 



Perennial or annual mostly caulescent herbs with short or long rootstocks; 

 leaves equitant, mostly elongate; flowers perfect, mostly regular, arising from 

 spathelike bracts; perianth composed of an outer and inner series of 3 segments 

 each; stamens 3, the filaments partially adnate to the perianth; carpels 3, united; 

 ovary inferior; styles entire or variously divided, sometimes petal-like; ovules few 

 to many; fruit a loculicidal 3-valved capsule. 



About 1,000 species in nearly 60 genera of wide geographic distribution. 



1. Roots clustered at base of plant, fibrous or tuberous-thickened; plants delicate, 

 mostly less than 4 dm. tall; leaves grasslike; perianth tube absent 

 1. Sisyrinchium 



1. Rootstock a rhizome; plants coarse, usually much more than 4 dm. tall; leaves 

 broad; perianth tube present 2. Iris 



1. Sisyrinchium L. Blue-eyed Grass 



Annual or perennial herbs; roots fibrous to tuberlike; leaves grasslike; flowers 

 single or in small clusters; perianth regular; tepals similar, often alternating wide 

 and narrow; stamens united into a column or free to the base. 



About 125 species in the Western Hemisphere. 



1. Flowers variously colored, not blue; plants usually annual (2) 



1. Flowers blue to blue-purple, sometimes white in blue populations or white; 



plants perennial, with simple stems or sessile spathes (6) 



2(1). Distribution Arizona in our region (3) 



2. Distribution central Texas eastward (4) 



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