42 ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



the 3-angled ovary longer than the inflated perianth tube, capsule 

 oblong, slightly lobed, seeds in 2 rows in each cell. April-May. In 

 wet places. 



2. I. HEXAGONA Walt. SOUTHERN Blue Flag. Rootstock 

 thick ; stem terete, erect, usually simple, 2-3 ft. high ; leaves linear, 

 sword-shaped, as long as the stem, green.; flowers axillary and ter- 

 minal, deep blue, variegated with white, yellow, and purple, outer 

 segments not bearded, often 4 in. long, inner segments smaller ; peri- 

 anth tube longer than the ovary ; stigmas much longer than the 

 stamens, cut-toothed at the apex, capsule oblong-cylindrical, 6-angled. 

 April-May. In wet ground. 



3. I. Germanica L. Fleur-de-lis. Rootstock thick, matted ; 

 stem stout, branched, leafy, 2-3 ft. high ; leaves strap-shaped, acute, 

 erect, shorter than the stem, bracts scarious ; flowers sessile, large 

 and showy, blue, variegated with white and yellow, sometimes nearly 

 all white, outer segments large, recurved, bearded, the inner narrower, 

 erect, or arched inward. April-]\Iay. Introduced from Europe ; com- 

 mon in gardens and naturalized in many places. 



4. I. FULVA Ker, Yellow^ Flag. Rootstock fleshy ; stem sim- 

 ple or branched, striate, 1-angled below, bearing 2-3 leaves, 2-3 ft. 

 high ; leaves linear, sword-shaped, glaucous, shorter than the stem, 

 bracts small ; pedicels short, flowers axillary and terminal, dull yel- 

 low or reddish-brown, variegated with blue and green, perianth seg- 

 ments not bearded ; style branches but little exceeding the stamens, 

 ovary about as long as the inflated perianth tube, capsule ovate, 

 6-angled. April-May. Swamps and wet places. 



II. SISYRINCHIUM. 



Perennial, tufted herbs ; stems erect, simple, or branched, 

 flattened, 2-edged or winged ; leaves linear and grass-like 5 

 flowers small, blue, in terminal, umbellate, 2-bracted clusters, 

 perianth corolla-like, tube short or none, segments 6, equal, 

 strongly aristate ; stamens 3, monadelphous ; ovary 3-celled, 

 many-ovuled, style short, the branches long, filiform, and in- 

 volute, alternate with the stamens ; fruit a 3-valved capsule, 

 seeds smooth or pitted. 



1. S. graminoides Bickn. Blue-eyed Grass. Stem slender, 

 broadly wing-margined, usually 2-branched above, 10-20 in. high ; 

 leaves very slender and grass-like, shorter than the stem, the edges 

 roughened ; bracts about 1 in. long, the outer one sometimes the 

 longer ; umbels 2-4-flowered, pedicels slender, longer than the bracts, 



