XYRIDACEH, (YELLOW-EYED GRASS FAMILY.) 499 
the middle. Seeds globose, furrowed and pitted, pointed at the apex. Embryo 
minute at the apex of the albumen.— Stems branching, tender. Leaves alter- 
nate, linear, emarginate. Flowers white or purple. 
1. M. Michauxii, Schott & Endl. Fruiting peduncles longer than the 
leaves, recurved ; capsule few-seeded; flowers (3'"— 4" wide) white or pale 
purple. (Syena fluviatilis, Pursh.) — Springy places, Florida to North Caro- 
lina, June and July.— Stems 2' -6/long. Leaves 3! —4!! long. 
Y 
ORDER 107. XYRIDACE. (YELLOW-EYED Grass 
FAwiLY.) 
Perennial stemless marsh herbs, with fibrous roots, sword-shaped equi- 
tant leaves, and perfect irregular fugacious flowers, collected in a dense 
imbricate-bracted spike. Sepals 3; the two lateral ones glumaceous, 
keeled, persistent; the inner one hy ating} enfolding, in the bud, the petals 
and caducous stamens. Petals 3, rounded, distinct, or united by their 
long claws. ` Stamens 3, and inserted on the summit of the claws of the 
pétals, or 6, and the alternate ones sterile, hypogynous, and commonly 
bearded with jomted hairs: anthers erect, 2-celled, extrorse. Ovary free, 
1-3-celled. Style single, 3-parted. Capsule 3-valved, many-seeded. 
Seeds minute, orthotropous. Embryo minute, at the apex of the albu- 
men. — Scape commonly twisted or spiral, 2-edged near the summit, with 
a spathe-like sheath at the base. Spikes mostly solitary. 
1, XYRIS, L. YELLOW-EYED Grass. 
Petals distinct. Stamens 6, the alternate ones hypogynous, sterile, commonly 
bearded at the summit, and slightly cohering with the claws of the contiguous 
petals. Stigmas entire. Capsule l-celled, 3-valved, the valves bearing the pla- 
cente in the middle. Seeds very numerous, finely ribbed.— Spikes ovoid or 
oblong. Bracts coriaceous or somewhat crustaceous, rounded, closely imbri- 
cated, convex and discolored on the back ; the lower ones empty. Keel of the 
lateral sepals mostly winged and variously lacerated. Flowers yellow. - 
§ 1. Sheath of the scape longer than the leaves. Biennials? 
< 1. X. brevifolia, Michx. Scape nearly terete, smooth; leaves narrowly 
linear, smooth on the edges; spike globose, light brown, few-flowered ; bracts 
soon lacerated at the apex; lateral sepals lanceolate, rigid, crenulate on the 
wingless keel ; petals obovate, rounded ; sterile filaments sparingly bearded. — 
Low sandy pine barrens, Florida to North Carolina. April and May. — Plant 
light brown. Scape 6'- 12" high, clustered. ‘Leaves 1’-3' long. Spin MOME 
see Petals 2" long. wg 
: 2 X fiabslliformis, n sp- Scape form, smooth eee below s 
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