304 IXIACEAE 



the sides below, as well as the scapes and bracts, sometimes incrustate-roughened : scapes 0. 5- 

 1.5 mm. wide, narrowly thin-winged or margined : peduncles 2-3, slender, 4-6 cm. long : 

 spathes mostly 1.5-2 cm. long, the bracts membranous and delicately nerved, acute or 

 acuminate, equal, or the outer one longer : interior scales the length of the bracts : 

 flowers on erect mostly not exserted pedicels : perianth deep purple-blue, 10-12 mm. 

 long: staminal column 4-5 mm. high, usually less than 2 the length of the perianth : ovary 

 densely glandular puberulent or tomentulose. 



On prairies, Arkansas to Mississippi and Texas. Spring. 



50. Sisyrinchium Langloisii Greene. Plants ascending or erect, in loose tufts, 6- 

 25 cm. tall, dull green turning dark. Leaves often equalling the scapes ; blades from al- 

 most capillary to over 1 mm. wide, firm, the edges smooth : scapes very slender, the 

 narrow margins smooth to denticulate, the node of ten low down or nearly basal, bearing 2-3 

 extremely slender peduncles 4-9 cm. long: spathes narrow, about 1.5 cm. long, the bracts 

 rather stiff and firmly close-nerved, narrowly attenuate, equal, or the outer one sometimes 

 longer : flowers on hair-like, slenderly exserted pedicels : perianth pale blue, less than 10 

 mm. long : staminal column 4-5 mm. high, usually over J the length of the perianth : 

 ovary sparsely puberulent. 



On prairies, Louisiana and Texas. Spring. 



51. Siayrinchlum Bushii Bicknell. Plants erect, or at length spreading or depressed, 

 in small tufts 6-15 cm. tall, pale and glaucescent. Leaves shorter than or equalling the 

 scapes ; blades 1.5-2 mm. wide, firmly close-nerved, the edges smooth or denticulate : scapes 

 sometimes geniculate at the first node, 1-2 mm. wide, the firm margins denticulate : nodes 

 1-2, the first one often low down, bearing 2-4 peduncles : spathes 12-20 mm. long, the 

 bracts equal or either one slightly the longer, closely nerved, acute or the inner obtuse, 

 the interior scales scarcely shorter : flowers on well exserted often recurved pedicels : peri- 

 anth pale violet-blue, 8-12 mm. long : ovary puberulent to glabrate. 



In dry soil, the Indian Territory and Texas. Spring. 



52. Sisyrinchium Canbyi Bicknell. Plants diminutive, 4-6 cm. tall, in tufts of 

 several stiffly ascending scapes, dull glaucescent green. Leaf-blades mostly only 0.5 mm. 

 wide, prominently nerved, the edges, as are those of scapes and peduncles, finely cartilagi- 

 nous-denticulate : scapes very narrow, mostly branched about the middle into two slightly 

 curved peduncles 1.5-2. 5 cm. long with a subequal bracteal leaf: spathes narrowly oblong, 

 the acute or obtuse bracts close-nerved, 10-12 mm. long, the outer one often linear-atten- 

 uate : interior scales nearly equalling the bracts : flowers on exserted pedicels : perianth 6-8 

 mm. long, bright purplish blue : staminal column 3 mm. high : ovary glabrous. 



On prairies, eastern Texas. Early spring. 



53. Sisyrinchium Texanum Bicknell. Plants 1.2-2.5 dm. tall, dull green and 

 glaucescent, mostly discolored when dry. Leaves usually equalling the scapes ; blades 1-2.5 

 cm. wide, close-striate, the edges mostly smooth : scapes narrow-margined, smooth-edged 

 or denticulate, 1-2 mm. wide ; node mostly one, supporting an erect bracteal leaf mostly 

 longer than the 2-3 diverging peduncles : peduncles slender, 5-12 cm. long : spathes rather 

 short and broad-based, becoming pale and somewhat turgid on the sides, the bracts stiff, 

 strongly few-nerved, subequal or the attenuate or acute outer one longer : inner bract 

 usually very obtuse and scarious at the apex,about 1.5 cm. long: interior scales nearly as long : 

 flowers on erect, slightly exserted pedicels : perianth light violet-blue, 10-15 mm. long : 

 ovary glabrate or nearly so : capsules dark, thick-walled, 3-5 mm. high, the valves usually 

 apiculate and bearing submarginal nerves. 



On prairies, eastern Texas and Louisiana. Spring. 



5. HERBERTIA Sweet. 



Caulescent herbs, with coated bulb-like rootstocks. Leaves few : blades narrow, elon- 

 gated, slightly folded. Flowers several in the solitary, terminal spathe. Perianth showy, 

 long-pediceled : members 6, distinct ; sepals 3, more or less spreading ; petals 3, much smaller. 

 Stamens 3 : filaments united into a tube which is adnate to the perianth : anthers narrow, 

 sessile on the tube. Ovary 3-celled : styles partially united, the distinct portions 2-cleft, 

 opposite the anthers. Ovules numerous in each cavity. Capsule exserted, slightly elon- 

 gated, loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds rather numerous, angled. 



Perianth blue : sepals obovate : petals oblanceolate. 1. H. Dmmmondiana. 



Perianth purple : sepals oblanceolate : petals obovate. 2. H. Watsonii. 



1. Herbertia Dmmmondiana Herb. Stems 1-3 dm. tall, simple or forked : leaves 

 mainly basal, erect, often 4 ; blades linear, about equalling the top of the stem : spathes 



