132 HANDBOOK OF IRIDE.'E. 



50. S. PLATYCAULE Baker. — Densely tufted. Root-fibres long, 

 very slender. Stems simple, leafless, broadly winged, ^ ft. long, 

 ^ in. diam., ending in a large linear point, bearing at its base a 

 small bundle of sessile or shortly-peduncled spathes. Root-leaves 

 thin, linear, ^ in. broad, as long as the stem. Spathes i in. long; 

 outer valves lanceolate, dark green, with a narrow white edge ; 

 pedicels cernuous, not longer than the valves. Perianth small, 

 white, with brown veins. Stamens not seen. Capsule globose, 

 ^ in. diam. 



Hab. Paraguay, Balansa 555 I Nearly allied to ,S'. Sellowianum. 



51. S. coNGESTUJi Klatt in Linnfea, xxxi. 98. — Root-fibres 

 slender. Stems erect, leafless, ngidly narrowly winged, 1^ ft. 

 long, ending in a small rigid linear point, with a fascicle of clusters 

 at its base. Leaves rigid, narrow linear, closely ribbed, ^-|- in. 

 broad, nearly or quite as long as the stem. Spathes ^ in. long ; 

 outer valves rigid, lanceolate. Perianth pale yellow, J in. long. 

 Filaments connate only at the base. 



Hab. South Brazil, Sello 2967 ! May be a variety of S. palmifolium, 



62. S. PALMIFOLIUM Liiin. Mant. 122, excl. syn. S. rocemosum 

 Pers. S. macrocephabuii Graham. <S'. altissimwn Tenore. S. vuir- 

 (finatum Klatt. Giumosia pabnifolia Herb. Moraa pulmifuUa Thunb. 

 M. alata Vahl. — Root-fibres subcylindrical. Stems leafless, bi'oadly 

 rigidly winged, 1^-2 ft. or more long, ending in a linear rigid tip, 

 bearing at its base a fascicle or congested panicle of many clusters. 

 Leaves rigid, linear, 1-2 ft. or more long, ^ in. broad, with many 

 raised ribs. Spathes about an inch long; outer valves rigid, 

 lanceolate. Perianth ^-J in. long, pale yellow, veined with 

 brown. Filaments connate at the base only ; anthers large, linear. 

 Capsule subglobose, \-\ in. diam. 



Hab. Widely spread in South America, especially in South Brazil and 

 Uruguay, ascending to 10,000 ft. in the Andes of New Granada. 



53. S. MoxosTACHYUM Baker in Journ. Bot. 1876, 2G8. S. 

 aurantiacum Griseb. -S'. Clarazii Baker. — Densely tufted. Root- 

 fibres long and slender. Stems slender, acutely angled, leafless, 

 ■J-1 ft. long, bearing 1-4 contiguous erect sessile clusters. Root- 

 leaves many, narrow linear, much shorter than the stem. Spathes 

 cylmdrical, 2-3-flowered, much shorter than the stem ; outer valve 

 oblong, f in. long, or in the lower clusters cuspidate. Perianth 

 bright yellow, J in. long. Filaments united at the base only ; 

 anthers small, oblong. Capsule globose, | in, diam. 



Hab. Uruguay, Argentine region, and North Patagonia. Is perhaps (see 

 Erganz. 43) the earlier-named S. avenaceum Klatt in Linnaea, xxxi. 373, but of 

 that the flowers are said to be violet. 



54, S, SEssiLiFLORUM Poppig, Fragm. 9, S. Huismo Dombey, — 

 Root-fibres long, subcylindrical. Stem subterete, 2 ft, long including 

 the simple rarely forked spike, which consists of several spaced-out 

 clusters. Reduced stem-leaves 2-3, Root-leaves linear, a foot or 

 more long, \ in, broad. Perianth violet ; segments obovate, J in. 

 long. Filaments united in a cylindrical column. Capsule oblong. 



