THIANDRTA. MONOGTXIA. 23 



g-ins; several species, however, have linear and almost 

 grassy foliage. The /. tuberosa has 4-sided leaves. 



Species.*!. I. cristata.2. hnxagona. 3. verncolor. 4. cu- 

 prea. 5. tripetala. -6 rernaP Root tuberous, reddish; leaves 

 radical, linear-ensiform, rigidly coriaceous, very acute, 

 margined, dark green, sofnev. hat spirally twisted at the 

 base, about 6 inches long; young- shoots and scapes 

 sheathed with linear-lanceolate stipules of a pink red 

 colour; scape 1-fiowered, nearly radical; tube of the co-. 

 roUa triangular, (about 2 inches long); germ attenu- 

 ated, triquetrous; lacini?e appearing articulated upon 

 the tube; inner and outer divisions nearly equal, ob- 

 long-obovate, pale blue, the 3 exterior marked with 

 an oblong orange-yellow maculate stripe, having a cen- 

 tral, slightly villous', raised line; stigmata linear-oblong, 

 cleeply bifid. (This is certainly a distinct plant frontl 

 the /. verna of Purshy but agrees with Michavx ex- 

 cept in having, in common with the generality of this 

 genus, a tuberous, and not a simply fibrous root. 

 This species is nearly allied to the /. cristata, but 

 the flovrer is smaller, without the crest or beard, some- 

 what sweet-scented, and of finely contrasted colours. The 

 root, like the I. cristata, leaves a burning sensation on 

 the palate after m.astication, a circumstance, however, 

 common to several other species. 7-sibinca. 8. prismatica. 

 9- *lacustns; flowers without a bearded crest; leaves short, 

 ensiform; scape much shorter than the leaf, 1-flowered; 

 petals nearly equal? attenuated on the tube; capside tur- 

 binate, 3-sJded, margined; seeds somewhat round, and 

 smooth; roots tuberous. 



Obs Roots laterally produced to a considerable extent 

 so as to form wide and dense tufts; leaves rarely more 

 than 6 inches long, scapes generally 1-flowered and still 

 shorter flower pple blue. 



Habitat. On the gravelH' shores of the calcareous 

 islands of lake Huron, near Michilimakinak. (I have seen 

 no perfect specimens, and therefore recommend the exa- 

 mination of this plant to future botanists.) It appears to 

 be allied to /. cristata. 



Many species of this genus have been discovered 

 at the Cape of Good- Hope, a few in Barbary, 1 or 

 U species in China, and as many in Japan, the- rest 

 have been found in Kast Asia (Siberia,) Europe, and 

 North America. Not a single species has yet been 

 discovered in South America, or any other portion of the 

 southern hemisphere, except the southern promontary of 

 Africa. The species in the United States, with the excep- 

 tion of the /. xerna, (as described by Mr- Fursh) have 



