Order 143.— IRIDACE2B. 099 



angled.— Pin© barrens, Mid. Ga. and S. Car. (Bachman). St. and lvs. 3 to 6', 



high. Ms. blue, the sepals in the middle yellow. Feb., Mar. 



8 I. lacustris Nutt. Northern Lake Iris. Lvs. ensiform, longer than the 

 low, compressed, l-flowered scape ; seg. of the perianth nearly equal, obtuse, 

 einarginate, the sepals scarcely created, as long as Vie slender tube; caps, turbinate, 

 3-sided, margined. — Islands of Lake Huron, near Mackinaw, Nuttall. Eoots ex- 

 tensively creeping. Leaves 2 — 5' by 3 — i ", those of the scape bract-lice. Scapo 

 1 to 2' high. Els. pale blue, the sepals rather broader. Jn. 



9 I. vernata L. Vernal Iris. Lvs. linear-ensiform, rigid, rather longer than tho 

 low, 1-flowered scape ; tube of the perianth filiform (2' long), about equaling tho 

 length of the segm. ; sep. and petals nearly equal, oblong-obovate, obtuse, neither 

 crested nor bearded, stig. deeply bifid. — Hilly woods of the interior S. States. St. 

 or scape 3 to 5' high, sheathed with colored bracts. Fls. pale blue, the iepals 

 ■with an oblong, or orange yellow, spotted stripe. Mar., Apr. 



10 I. pumila L. Dwarf Iris. Scapo very short (3 to 6 ), 1-flowered; spatha 

 shorter than the tubs; sep. reflexed, narrower than tho erect petals. — A. small 

 species from Hungary, cultivated in tho edgings of walks. Lvs. numerous, 

 broad ensiform, subcrect. Fls. large, deep purple, appearing in early spring, f 



2. NEMAS'TYLIS, Nntt. (Gr. vrjfia, thread, crvlog, style.) Spathe 

 2-leaved; perianth segments distinct down to the top of tho ovary, tho 

 sepals spreading, larger than the ascending, concave petals ; stamens 3, 

 filaments shorter than the anthers ; style slender, enlarged and 3-eleft 

 above ; capsule oblolig-cylindric. — Stem very slender, with linear-ensi- 

 form lvs. from a bulb. Spathe 2-flowered. 



N. gemmifiora Nutt. Swamps along rivers, La. (Hale.) A pretty flower 15 to 

 20' high, lvs. samo length, 3 to 5" wide, tapering at each e::d. Fls. on pedicels 

 shorter than the spathe, tho sepals 1' long, obovate-spatulate, bluish-purple, tho 

 azure p.'tals about half as large. 



3. TIGRID'IA, L. Tiger-flower. (Lat. tigridix, of the tiger ; sc. 

 in colors.) Spathe 2-leaved ; perianth regular, the 3 sepals larger than 

 the 3 pet ils; statu, monadclphons, 111. united into a long tube. — Bulbous. 



T. pavonia L. St. simple, fLxuous; lvs. ensiform, veined; segm. flat; 

 petals panduriibrm. — A superb plant of the gardens. St. 2f high, erect, terete, 

 leafy, branching. Lvs. erect, a foot long. Floweis inodorous, 5 to C broad, yel- 

 low, variegated with scarlet, crimson and purple. It is very evanescent, lasts but 

 a few hours, but a new one appears daily for several weeks. \ Mexico. 



4. SISYRINCHIUM, L. Blue-eyed Grass. (Gr. ovg, a hog, and 

 pvyxoc, a snout ; alluding to the singular spathe.) Spathe 2-leaved ; 

 segments of the perianth flat, equal ; stamens monadelphous; stigma 

 3-c!eft. — % Grass-like plants, with compressed, winged or ancipital 

 scapes, from fibrous roots. 



1 S. Bermudianum L. Scape simple, winged ; valves of tho spathe unequal, 

 the longer tcarcely equaling the flowers ; petals mucronate. — A delicate little plant, 

 with blue floweis, common in low grass lands, Can. and IT. S. St. or scapo 13 to 

 12' high, so winged as to resemble tho leaves, smooth and mostly simple. Lvs. 

 linear, about as long as the scape, sheathing at base. Spatho 2 to 5-flowered, the 

 longer valve acuminate. Fls. purple or blue, on filiform pedicels. Sepals a little 

 broader than the petals, spreading. Cap. globous. Jn., Jl. (3. ancops. Cav.) 



/3. alba. Flowers white. — Wet prairies, &e. 



2 S. mucronatum Mx Scapo simple, filiform, barely 2- edged ; spathe col- 

 ored, outer valve longer than the fls., ending in a long, mucronate ■point. — Mid. States, 

 W. to Iowa, common in wet prairies, where the grass is not luxuriant. Lv.h. rad. 

 ical, a lino wide. Scapo 6 to 10' high, narrowly winged, setaccously slender. 

 Spathe 3 to 4-flowered, tinged with purple. Fls. smaller than in tho preceding, 

 of a Cao blue color. Jn. — Appears very distinct from tha other. 



