500 XTRIDACEiE. (tELLOAV-ETED GRASS FAMILY.) 



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

 light brown, entire; lateral sepals lanceolate, short-fringed 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. Sheath of the scape shorter than the leaves. Perennials. 



* Sterile JHaments bearded: sepals included. 



-•- Lateral sepals fringed on the la < I. 



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

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

 Ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 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 North Carolina. July - Sept. — Scape 2° - 3° high, 

 mostly solitary. Leaves 6'- 12' long. Spikes 9"- 15" long. Petals £' long. 



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

 above, smooth and 1 - 2-angled 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 

 Blender, clustered, 2°-3° high. Leaves l°-l£° long. Spikes 9"-12"long. 

 Petals 2" long. 



5. X. flexuosa, Muhl. 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 the upper dis- 

 tricts of Georgia, and northward. July- Sept. — Scape 6' -12' high. Leaves 

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



■*- •*- Lateral sepals broadly xvinged, and variously toothed or fimbriate. 



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

 ctlgcd below, roughish and mostly spiral ; leaves narrowly linear, Bharp-edged, 

 twisted; Bpike few-flowered, elliptical, obtuse; lateral Bepala linear, the wing 

 cut-toothed above the middle ; petals obovate. (X. brevifolia, I'll, ex descr.) — 

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

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



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

 above, terete or 1- 2-angled below ; leaves thin, linear-lanceolate, Bmooth ; Bpikes 

 many-flowered, o\ ate, acute, even, often 2 - 4-clefl ; lateral sepals lanceolate, with 

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

 smooth. — Swamps near the coast, Wesl Florida, July. — Scapes i°- U° high. 

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



8. X. 8erotina, n. Bp. Scapes clustered, twisted and mostly spiral, rough* 

 angMed and 2-edged above, striate ; leaves linear-lanceolate, rigid, rough on the 



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



