IRIS FAMILY 



465 



9, Iris californica Leicht. 

 California Iris. Fig. 1138. 



Iris californica Leicht. Gardfii 52: 1J6. 1897. 



Rootstock slender, about 5 cm. in diameter. Stem 

 slender, somewhat flattened, 15-40 cm. high. Leaves of 

 the sterile stems surpassing the flowers, 4-6 mm. wide, 

 long-acuminate, pale green ; those of the flower-bear- 

 ing stem 2 or 3 about 10-20 cm. long, the upper 

 sheathing for half their length; bracts lanceolate acumi- 

 nate, 7-10 cm. long, 6-9 mm. wide ; flowers usually 2. 

 cream color, veined with lilac, very short-pedicelled ; 

 perianth-tube slender, 4-6 cm. long ; sepals 5-6 cm. long, 

 15-18 mm. wide; petals spatulate, about equalling the 

 sepals; ambers alaout 15 mm. long; style-branches witii 

 oblong crests. 8-lD mm. long; capsule broadly oblong, 

 abruptly acute at each end, 25-35 cm. long, on pedicels 

 10-15 mm. long; seeds compressed. 



Grassy hillsides and open woods in dry soil, Transition and 

 (mainly) Upper Sonoran Zones; California Coast Ranges from 

 Lake and Glenn Counties to Santa Clara County, also in the 

 Sierra foothills of Butte County. Type locality: California, but 

 localit}' not given. 



10. Iris macrosiphon Torr. 

 Slencler-tubed Iris. 



Fig-. 1139. 



Iris tnucrosipho}! Torr. Pacif. R. Rep. 4: 144. 1857. 



Rootstocks slender, forming small tufts. Stems 

 slender 3-20 cm. high, somewhat flattened. Basal 

 leaves much exceeding the stem, 3-4 mm. rarely 

 wider; cauline leaves 1 or 2, 5-10 cm. long; bracts 

 linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, 6-10 cm. long, 4-6 

 mm. wide; flowers 1 or 2, short-pedicelled, briglu 

 lilac-purple; sepals 35-50 cm. long, 12-15 mm. wide; 

 petals oblanceolate, about equalling the sepals ; peri- 

 anth-tube very slender, 4-8 cm. usually about 6 cm. 

 long; anthers about 12 inm. long; capsule oblong- 

 ovoid, 25-30 mm. long, shortly acute at each end ; 

 seeds compressed, angled. 



On grassy hillsides, or in open woods, Upper Sonoran and 

 Humid Transition Zones; California Coast Ranges from Hum- 

 boldt and Siskiyou Counties south to Marin County, and the 

 Mount Hamilton Range, Santa Clara County. Type locality: 

 "hillsides, Corte Madera," Marin County, California. 

 Iris chrysophylla Howell. Fl. N. W. Am. 1 : 633. 1902. Probably only a form of /. californica, the chief 

 difference being the elongated (15-20 mm.) lanceolate stigma-crests. Open pine forest, Arid Transition Zone. 

 southern C)regon. 



Iris amabilis Eastw. Bull. Torrey Club 30: 484. 1903. Clearly a member of the iiiacrosit^Iuui group and 

 doubtfully distinct from I. californica, the chief distinction being a somewhat shorter (25-35 mm.) perianth- 

 tube. Open pine forests, Nevada City, California. 



Iris tenuissima Dykes, Gard. Cliron. III. 51 : IS. 1912. An imperfectly known relative of /. ntacrosif>hon, 

 differing, probably inconstantly, in the narrower, tajjering perianth-segments; stigma-crests about as long as 

 the stigmas. Described from specimens collected at the Pitt River Ferry, Shasta County, California. 



2. SISYRINCHIUM L. Sp. PI. 954. 1753. 



Perennial tufted herbs, with short rootstocks, slender compressed more or less winged 

 stems, linear grass-like leaves. Flowers blue, borne in a few-flowered terminal umbel from 

 a pair of erect green bracts. Perianth-tulie short or none, the 6 spreading segments oli- 

 long or obovate, similar, aristulate. Filament united to near the apex. Ovary 3-celled, each 

 cavity several-ovuled. Style branches filiform, undivided, alternate with the stamen.^:. 

 Capsule globose or obovoid, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds subglobose or ovoid, smooth or 

 pitted. [Name of Theophrastus for a bulbous plant allied to Iris.] 



About 60 species, natives of North America and the West Indies. 



Stems simple and leafless with a sessile terminal spathe, rarely with a terminal leaf-bearing node and a 

 solitary peduncle. 

 Bracts of the spathe linear, equally narrow, the inner exceeding the pedicels, the outer much longer. 



1. S. sarnientosunu 

 Bracts of the spathe dissimilar, the inner broader than the outer and shorter than the flowers. 



Pedicels glandular-pubescent; capsules pale not brownish. 2. S. halophylluni. 



Pedicels glabrous; capsules brownish. 3. -S". idahocnsc. 



Stems bearing 1, or more leaf-bearing nodes, each node with 2 or more peduncles. 4. .S". bellutn. 



