Xyris. CLVlll. XVRIDACEA:. 603 



1. C. ANGUSTiFOMA. Michx.'? (C. ciocta. Wdld.) Day Flower. 



St. assiirgent, branching, subgeniculate ; Us. lanceolate, subpetiolate, 

 sheaths split to the base; .s/xilhe broad-corilate, distinct and o])en at base, en- 

 folding '2 peduncles and several flowers; pcdiccU contorted; pet. unequal, the 

 lower one much smaller, unguiculate ; sta. 2, perlect.— Dry soils. Middle! 

 Southern and Western States! Plant nearly smooth, 12— 18' high, glabrous. 

 Leaves 3 — 5' by 8 — 1-4", varying IVom lance-linear to lance-ovatc. Spathe 

 veiny, 3— 5-llowered. Petals deep blue. July, Aug. 



2. C. ViRGiNicA. Linn. 1 (C. longilolia. Mirkx.) 



St. erect, branched at base, ciliate-pubescent; lis. lanceolate, subpetiolate, 

 sheaths entire, elongated, ciliate-pilose; brada deltoid-falcate, united and entire 

 at base as if peltate, about 2-llowered ; ;>c^. nearly equal; sta. 3, perfect.— Rocky 

 woods, thickets, Penn. (Mu/d.) Harper's Ferry ! to Ga. A more slender, but 

 erect .species, 1 — 2f high. Leaves 3 — 5' by G — 12", usually narrow-lanceolate, 

 pilose-scabrous, the sheaths near 1' long. Spathe broadly funnel-shaped. Pe- 

 tals blue. July, Aug. — Neither of these plants agrees with the descriptions in 

 the books. 



2. TRADE SCANT I A. 



Named in honor of John Tradescant, gardener to Charles I. 



Sepals persistent ; petals large, suborbicular, spreading ; filaments 

 clothed with jointed hairs ; anthers reniform. — % Fls. in terminal, 

 close u?nbds, sublcnded by 2 or 3 long, leafy bracls. 



1. T. ViRGiNiCA. Spldcr-wort. 



St. erect, simple or branched ; hs. lance-linear, channeled above, sessile, 

 glabrous ; Jh. in a terminal, subumbellate cluster, pedicels finally elongated and 

 reflexed; cal. pubescent. — Moist meadows, prairies, &c., Middle! and Western 

 States! common. Stem thick, round, jointed, 2 — 3f high. Leaves numerous, 

 subpilose, 12—18' by 6 — 12", the bracts similar. Petals large, suborbicular, 

 of a deep, rich blue, soon fading. May— Aug.— The juice of the plant is viscid 

 and spins into thread; hence the common name. 



/?. '? (T. subaspera. Sims.?) Lis. lanceolate, narrowed to the base, pilose 

 both sides, sheaths entire, ciliate with long, white hairs ; umbels both axillary 

 and terminal ; Jls. small, rose-colored.— Shady river banks, la. ! 



2. T. ROSEA. Michx. 



St. erect, simple ; Ivs. linear, glabrous, channeled, amplexicaul ; ped. 

 elongated; cal. glabrous. — Penn. to Ga., in moist woods. Stem 8— 12' high. 

 Leaves 6 — 8' by 2 — 3'. Umbel terminal, subtended by 2 or 3 subulate bracts. 

 Pedicels nearly 1' long. Flowers much smaller than in the preceding species. 

 Petals rose-colored, twice longer than the smooth calyx. May. 



Order CLVIII. XYRIDACE^.— Xyrids. 



Herbs, sedge-like, with linear or ensiform leaves. Fls. capitate at the top of a simple scape. 



Perianth 6-parted, in 2 series, sepals 3, glumaceous, petals 3, unsuiculate. [ments. 



Sta. 6, 3 of them with extrorse anthers and inserted on the claw of the petals, the other 3 abortive fiJa- 



Ora. single. Sti/lc triM. Stig'rnas obtuse, loheA. 



F/-— Capsule 3-valved, l celled, with parietal placentse, or 3-celled. 



Seeds numerous, albuminous. 



Genera 5. species 70, natives of tropical Asia, Africa and America, a few species of Xyns extending 

 uito the United States. Of no important use. 



XYRIS. 



Gr. ^vpo;, acute-pointed ; in allusion to the form of the leaves. 



Heads of flowers ovoid-cylindric ; sepals cartilaginous ; petals 

 equal, ovate, creuate, with narrow claws as long as the sepals ; cap- 

 sule 1 -celled, with parietal placentae. — Lvs. narroioly linear, rigid, 

 radical, sheathing the base of the scape. Fls. in a terminal, dense head, 

 petals yellow. 



1. X. Caroliniana. Lam. (X. Jupacai. Mx. X. flexuosa. Ell.) Yel- 

 low-emd Grass. — Scape slender, com}nessed and ancipitous above ; lvs. 

 48 



