600 XYRIDACE^. (tELLOW-EYED GRASS FAMILY.) 



fan, laterally curved ; spikes oblong, mostly acute, few-flowered, angular ; bracts 

 light brown, entire ; lateral sepals lanceolate, short-frinfred on the wingless keel ; 

 petals obovate; sterile filaments often beardless. — Low pine barrens, near the 

 coast, "West Florida. April and May. — Scape 4'- 12' high. Leaves ^' - 1' long. 

 Spikes 2" -4" long. Petals 2" long. 



^ 2. Slieath of the scape shorter than the leaves. Perennials. ^ 



-■•■ Sterile filaments bearded : sepals included. 

 ■*- Lateral sepals fringed on the heel. 



3. X. ambigua, Beyr. Scape rigid, finely furrowed, rough, 2-cdged 

 above, 1-angled below; leaves linear-lanceolate, rougii on the edges; spike 

 ovate-lanceolate or oldong, even, often acute, many-flowered ; bracts light brown, 

 oval, not crowded on the spike ; lateral sepals lanceolate, tapering at each end, 

 shining, narrowly winged; petals round obovate; seeds ovoid. — Open grassy 

 pine barrens, Florida to Xorth Carolina. July - Sept. — Scape 2° -3° high, 

 mostly solitaiy. Leaves 6'- 12' long. Spikes 9"- 15" long. Petals I' long. 



4. X. Stricta, n. sp. Scape flattened and broadly margined, rough-edged 

 above, smooth and 1 - 2-angIed below, slightly striate ; leaves long, linear, 

 smooth ; spikes oblong or cylindrical, obtuse, many-flowered ; bracts dark 

 brown, orbicular, crowded on the spike ; lateral sepals broadly winged above 

 the middle, narrowed below ; petals small, wedge-obovate ; seeds ovoid. — 

 Shallow ponds in the pine barrens, West Florida. July -Sept. — Scapes 

 slender, clustered, 2°-3° high. Leaves 1°-1^° long. Spikes 9"- 12" long. 

 Petals 2" long. 



5. X. flexuosa, Mulil. Somewhat bulbous ; scape smooth, 2-edged above, 

 nearly terete below; leaves linear, smooth ; spikes globose, few-flowered; lateral 

 sepals lanceolate, wingless. (X. bulbosa, Kunth.) — Swamps in tlie upper dis- 

 tricts of Georgia, and northward. July -Sept. — Scape G'- 12' high. Leaves 

 4' - 8' long. Spike 3" - .5" long. 



■*- -1- Lateral sepals broadly icinged, and rarioiisli/ toothed or fimbriate. 



6. X. Elliottii. Scape slender, flattened and 2-cdgcd throughout, or 1- 

 cdgcd below, roughish and mostly spiral ; leaves narrowly linear, sharp-edged, 

 twisted ; spike few-flowered, elliptical, obtuse ; lateral sepals linear, the wing 

 cut-toothed above the middle ; petals obovate. (X. brevifolia. Ell. ex descr.) — 

 Wet grassy pine barrens, Florida to South Carolina. July. — Scape 1°-]^° 

 high. Leaves 6' -9' long. Petals 3" long. 



7 X. difformis, n. sp. Scapes clustered, slender, smooth, widely 2-edged 

 above, terete or 1 - 2-angled below ; leaves thin, linear-lanceolate, .smooth ; spikes 

 many-flowered, ovate, acute, even, often 2- 4-cleft; lateral sepals lanceolate, with 

 the broadly winged keel incised-fimbriate ; petals obovate ; seeds elliptical, 

 smooth. — Swamps near the coast. West Florida. July. — Scapes l°-l^°high. 

 Leaves 9'- 15' long. Spikes 6" - 9" long. Petals small. 



8. X. serotina, n. sp. Scapes clustered, twisted and mostly spiral, rough- 

 angled and 2-cdged above, striate ; leaves linear-lanceolate, rigid, rough on the 

 edges; spikes many-flowered, ovoid, obtuse, dark brown, even; bracts round- 



