388 BICKNELL: STUDIES IN SISYRINCHIUM 
SISYRINCHIUM BELLUM S. Watson, Proc. Am. Acad. 12: 277. 1877, 
Remarkably variable in size and relative proportions ; from 6 
cm. to over 6 dm. high, mostly 2.5-4 dm., green to glaucescent, 
subject to slight or to pronounced discoloration on the herbar- 
ium sheet, the tufts often fibrillose at base, the roots either slender 
or somewhat thickened, frequently from an ascending or horizontal, 
sometimes compound, woody rootstock. Leaves soft and rather 
thin, or becoming firm, finely many-nerved, sometimes equaling 
the plant in height but usually shorter, mostly 2-4 mm. wide (1-6 
mm.), acute or aculeate, the edges smooth or denticulate ; stems 
erect, stout or slender, 1-4 mm. wide, narrowly firm-margined to 
narrowly winged, the edges smooth or denticulate ; sides of leaves, 
bracts and stems rarely obscurely roughened with harsh points ; 
primary node supporting from 2~4 peduncles or one or two branches 
each with 1-2 peduncle-bearing nodes; primary stem-leaf con- 
spicuous, the bracteal leaves usually much reduced; peduncles 
stout or very slender, straight or curved, divergent or erect, some- 
times very short but becoming 18 cm. long; spathes very variable, 
linear, lanceolate, or short oblong, 1.5—6 mm. wide when pressed, 
the bracts green or purplish, very acute to obtuse, straight to 
strongly incurved, subequal or very unequal, when subequal 1.5— 
3 cm. long, when very unequal foliaceous and reaching a length of 
3.5 cm. for the inner and 5.5 cm. for the outer bract ; bracts finely 
many-nerved, the edges often conspicuously white or purplish mar- 
gined, the outer one united-clasping below for from 1% to % its 
length ; inner scales mostly brownish tinged, sometimes equaling 
the bracts, but usually much shorter ; flowers on slightly or slen- 
derly exserted erect or diverging pedicels, varying in color from 
blue and violet to lilac, in light and dark shades, in one specimen 
pure white; segments sharply emarginate or contracted to the 
mucronate or aristulate apex, 12-20 mm. long ; column 5-7 mm. 
high ; ovary glandular-puberulent to glabrous; capsules dark oF 
pale brown, depressed-globose to obovoid or pyriform, in some 
forms strongly trilobulate, 2-7 mm. long; seeds 1 or 2 to 5-0 
each row, about 1.5 mm. in diameter, dark, pitted, subglobose. 
Apparently common in all the coastwise counties from San 
Diego to Mendocino, extending from the immediate coast back 
into the mountains, but no evidence has developed of its occur 
rence in any of the inland counties. 
In the southern part of the state the species begins to flower 
in February and March, and sometimes even in March in the 
neighborhood of San Francisco. At its northern limit flowering 
begins in May and June, continuing into July and August. 
