472 



an obovate inferior germ: style three-sided, length of the tube: 

 stigmas three, thickish, awl-shaped at the top, erect: the pericarpium 

 is an obovate capsule, rounded, three-sided, three-celled, three- 

 valved; with the partitions contrary: the seeds several, globular. 



The species are: 1. S. Bermudiana, Iris-leaved Sisyrinchium; 

 2. S. anceps, Narrow-leaved Sisyrinchium. 



The first has a fibrous root, from which arise some stiff sword- 

 shaped leaves, four or five inches long, and half an inch broad, of a 

 dark green colour: from among these comes out the stalk (scape) six 

 inches high; it is compressed, and has two borders or wings running 

 the whole length, and three or four spear-shaped leaves embracing 

 it; these grow erect, and are hollowed like the keel of a boat: the 

 stalk is terminated by a cluster of six or seven flowers, on short 

 peduncles, and enclosed in a two-leaved, keel-shaped sheath, before 

 they open; they are of a deep blue colour with yellow bottoms, 

 Avhich, when fully expanded, are an inch over. It is a native of 

 Bermuda. 



The second species has a perennial fibrous root, from which arise 

 many very narrow spear-shaped leaves, about three inches long, and 

 scarcely an eighth of an inch broad, of a light-green colour: the 

 stalks about three inches high, very slender, compressed and bor- 

 dered, having short, narrow, sword-shaped, embracing leaves: they 

 are terminated by two small pale-hue flowers, enclosed in a two- 

 leaved sheath, upon longer peduncles than those of the first sort, 

 flowering about the same time. It is a native of Virginia. 



It is observed, that the leaves, stalks, and flowers of the first sort 

 are three times as large as in the second, and the sheath encloses six 

 or seven flowers ; whereas the sebond has rarely more than two, and 

 these expand only for a short time in the morning, while in the 

 former they continue open the whole day. 



Culture. These plants may be increased by seeds and parting 

 the roots : in the former method the seeds of the first sort should be 

 sown in the autumn as soon as they become ripe, on a border which 

 has an eastern aspect, in drills at three or four inches distance, 



