468 



IRIDACEAE 



4. HYDASTYLUS Salisb. Trans. Hort. Soc. Lond. 1: 310. 1812. 



Annual or perennial herbs with the habit and appearance of Sisyrinchium, staining purple 

 and usually turning black on drying; rootstocks obscure or poorly developed, the roots 

 fibrous pale and slender. Leaves narrowly linear, conduplicate at base. Stems ancipital, 

 simple, scapose, terminated by a solitary spathe. Bracts of the spathe two, conduplicate, en- 

 closing membranous scales. Pedicels slender often well exserted. Perianth yellow with 

 dark or orange veins, not aristulate or emarginate. Filaments free to below the middle, 

 somewhat spreading above. Anthers narrowly linear, versatile. Style branches slender, di- 

 vergent. Capsule oblong to globose, more or less 3-lobed. Seeds few to many, rounded, 

 distinctly pitted. 



About 12 species, confined to western United States and Mexico. Type species, Hydasfyhis californicns 

 (Kef.) Salisb. 



Herbage turning black in drying and leaving a purple stain; coastal species. 

 Anthers 3-5 mm. long; perianth-segments 12-18 mm. long. 



Pedicels 2-4 cm. long, mostly longer than the bracts; seeds 1.25-1.5 mm. in diameter. 



1. H. cahfoniicus. 

 Pedicels 1-2 cm. long, mostly shorter than the bracts; seeds .75-1 mm. in diameter. 



2. H. brachypiis. 

 Anthers 2-2.5 mm. long; perianth-segments 8-10 mm. long. 3. H. borealis. 



Herbage not ordinarily turning dark in drying, and not staining purple; montane species. 



4. H. f^hneri. 



1. Hydastylus californicus (Ker.) Salisb. 

 California Golden-eyed Grass. Fig. 1145. 



Marica calif ornica Ker. Bot. Mag. pi. 9S3: 1806. 



Sisvriiichiujn calif ornicnm Dryand. Hort. Kew. ed. 2. 4: 135. 



"1812. 

 Hvdastvltis californicns Salisb. Trans. Hort. Soc. Lond. 1 : 



" 310." 1812. 

 Sisyrinchium flaviduin Kell. Proc. Calif. Acad. 2: 50. 1863. 

 Bcrmtidiana calif ornica Greene, Man. Bay Region 308. 1894. 



Stems 15-60 cm. long, dull green and glaucescent, 

 broadly winged, 2-6 mm. wide. L,eaves mostly 

 about half the length of the stem, 2-6 mm. wide ; 

 outer bract 2-5 cm. long, usually slightly surpassing 

 the inner ; flowers bright yellow, i-7 ; pedicels 2—1 

 cm. long; perianth-segments 12-18 mm. long, obtuse 

 or acutish, with 5-7 black nerves ; anthers 3-5 mm. 

 long; capsule ellipsoid or obovoid, 7.5-12 mm. long; 

 seeds 1.25-1.5 mm. in diameter. 



Moist meadows near the coast, Humid Transition Zone; 

 Curry County, Oregon, to Monterey, California. Type lo- 

 cality: "northwest coast," Menzies. 



2. Hydastylus brachypus Bick. 

 Oregon Golden-eyed Grass. Fig. 1146. 



Hydastylus brachypus Bick. Bull. Torrey Club 27: 379. 1900. 



Stems mostly low, 8-15 cm. high, or sometimes 

 twice as high, stout, broadly winged, 2-5 mm. wide. 

 Leaves about half the length of the stems or longer, 

 short-pointed; outer bracts 15-25 mm. long, sub- 

 equal or slightly surpassing the inner, 3-4 mm. wide, 

 obtuse, united clasping for 2-5 mm. ; pedicels usually 

 shorter than the inner bract, 10-15 mm. long, ob 

 tuse ; anthers 3-4 mm. long; capsule oblong or ellip- 

 soid, 7-10 mm. long; seeds .75-1 mm. in diameter. 



Open grassy places near the coast. Humid Transition Zone; 

 Washington to central Oregon. Type locality: Newport, Ore- 

 gon. 



