472 IRIDACE.fi. (iRIS FAMILY.) 



£,. T. recurvata, Pnrsh. LeaveB scurfy, bristle-awl-shaped, curved, nearly 

 terete, shorter than the stem j stein naked above, 1 - 2-flowered ; corolla longer 

 than the calyx. — East Florida, Leoonte. — Stem 6' high. Leaves ash-color, 2- 



ranked. narrowly channelled. 



* * Stems filiform, pendent: flowers solitary, green. 

 8. T. usneoides, L. (Long Moss.) Scurfy and hoary ; stems ( 1 ° - 2° 

 long) branching; leaves 2-ranked, lincar-awl-shaped, recurved; flowers sessile 

 at the summit of the branches, small; sepals longer than the bracts, half as long 

 as the linear recurved green petals. — Humid situations in the lower districts, 

 Florida to North Carolina, and westward. June - Sept. 



Order 147. IRIDACE^G. (Iris Family.) 



Herbs, with linear or sword-shaped equitant nerved leaves, and fuga- 

 cious often showy flowers from a 2-leavcd spathe. — Perianth 6-parted, 

 the divisions spreading and equal, or the inner ones smaller, convolute in 

 the bud. Stamens 3, distinct or united : anthers extrorse. Ovary adnate 

 to the tube of the perianth, 3-celled; the numerous anatropous ovules 

 fixed to the central placentae. Style single : stigmas 3. Capsule loculi- 

 cidally S-valved. Embryo in the axis of fleshy albumen. 



Synopsis. 



1. IRIS. Stigmas petal-like, covering the stamens : capsule angular. 



2. SISYRINCIIIUM. Stigmas filiform : capsule globular : stem flat. 



3. NEMASTYLIS. Stigmas filiform, 2-parted: stem terete.,, 



1. IRIS, L. Blue Flag. Flower-de-Luce. 



Perianth corolla-like, 6-parted, the exterior divisions recurved, and often 

 crested or bearded within, the interior mostly smaller and erect. Stamens ■>, 

 opposite the outer divisions of the perianth, concealed by the dilated petal like 

 2-lipped spreading Btigmas. Style 3-angled. Capsule 3-6-angled. Seed nu- 

 merous, flattened, packed in 2 rows in the cells. — Perennial herbs, with creep- 

 ing or tuberous rootstocks, simple or branched stems, linear or sword-shaped 



leaves, and showy flowers from a Bcarious spathe. 



ma tall, leafy : divisions of the perianth unequal. 

 I. I. versicolor, L. Stem nearly terete, simple or branched; leaves 

 Bword-shaped ; flowers terminal, single or spiked, crestless j perianth pale bine, 

 variegated with white, yellow, and purple, the inflated tube shorter than the 

 obtusely 3 angled ovary ; Btigmas 2-toothed at the base, with the lips entire, or 

 Blightly crenate ; capsule oblong, obtusely 3-angled. — Wet places. Florida, and 

 northward. April and May. — Stem U°-2° high. Lowest leaves l.\°-2° 

 long, i' - U' wide. Perianth 2' long. 



Jj. I. hoxagona, Walt. Stem terete, simple; leaves linear-sword-shaped ; 



flowers axillary and terminal, solitary, CTOSted | perianth deep lilue, \ -ariegated 

 with white, yellow, and purple; the Cylindrical angular tuhe longer than the 



