302 



IRIDACEAE (IRIS FAMILY) 



a. Spathes peduncled from the axil of the leaf-like bract c. 



o. Old leaf-bases persisting as tufts of straight bristle-like fibers. 



Capsules pale straw-color or whitish, 3-4 mm. high . . . . 8. & Farwellii 



Capsules dark brown, 4-6 mm. high . . 9. <S. arenicola. 



c. Old leaf-bases soon deciduous, or, if persisting, merely loose irregular 



soft shreds d. 

 d. Capsules pale straw-color or whitish ; peduncles and pedicels strictly 



erect 10. S. strictum. 



d. Capsules brown or drab. 



Inner bract of the spathe 1.5-8 cm. long; stems broadly winged. 

 Pedicels loosely spreading, much exceeding the inner bract . 11. S. gramineum. 

 Pedicels strongly ascending, rarely exceeding the inner bract . 6. S. angustifolium. 

 Inner bract of the spathe 1-1.5 cm. long ; stems slender and nar- 

 rowly margined. 



Capsules not beaked 12. S. atlanticum. 



Capsules tipped by a short stout mucro 18. S. apiculatum. 



1. S. hastile Bicknell. Stiff and erect, dull green, about 4 dm. high, the 

 stem (1-1.5 mm. wide) narrowly margined but not winged; leaves firm and stiff, 

 slender and conduplicate, bareiy 1 mm. broad, except at the flat- 

 tened base ; the 2 spathes closely sessile, each 4-bracted, the lance- 

 attenuate strongly nerved inner bracts 1.5-2.5 cm. long, much 

 exceeded by the linear outer bract ; pedicels barely exserted 

 beyond the inner bracts. Sandy shores, Belle Isle, Detroit R., 

 Mich. May, June. 



2. S. albidum Raf. Erect, pale green or glaucous, 1.5-4.5 dm. 

 high ; steins 1-3 mm. wide, usually twice exceeding the flat leaves ; 

 spathes with lance-acuminate pale or purple-tinged inner bracts 

 (1.3-2.3 cm. long), usually twice exceeded by the erect outer 

 bract ; pedicels with slightly spreading exserted tips ; flowers about 

 an* Q rKM 1 cm< l n &) white to violet ; capsules subglobose (2.5-4 mm. high), 

 X2 a ! bd ' pale straw-color. O. and w. Ont. to Wise., and southw ; locally 

 introd. in Ct. May, June. FIG. 603. 



3. S. flaviflbrum Bicknell. Erect (2-2.5 dm. high), pale green or glaucous ; 

 stems flat, wing-margined, 1.5-3 mm. broad, usually exceeding the flat slightly 

 broader leaves ; bracts of the spathe pale green with conspicuous 



narrow hyaline margins, the inner bract 2-3 cm. long, twice 

 exceeded by the outer ; pedicels shorter than the inner bract. 

 Open woods, borders of prairies, w. Mo. May, June. 



4. S. campSstre Bicknell. Caespitose, glaucous, slender (1-5 

 dm. high); the flat stems (1-3 mm. broad) winged, somewhat 

 exceeding the leaves ; spathes gibbous, green or tinged with pink, 

 the outer bract (2.5-4.5 cm. long) with margins free to the base, 

 rarely twice exceeding the inner; pedicels with curved tips, 



equaling or exceeding the inner bract ; perianth pale blue or S^*- s - campestrt 

 white ; capsules 2-4 mm. high. Prairies, Wise, to N. Dak., x */ 



and southw. Apr.-June. FIG. 604. 



5. S. mucronatum Michx. Similar but greener ; stems 0.5-1.5 mm. broad, 

 narrowly winged, usually twice longer than the slightly broader leaves ; spathes> 



usually purple-tinged, not gibbous, the outer bract with the mar- 

 gins united a little above the base, 2-7 cm. long, the inner 1-2 cm. 

 long; perianth violet (rarely white) ; capsules straw-color or 

 greenish-yellow. Meadows, fields, and open woods, w. Mass, to 

 Va. and Mich. May, June. FIG. 605. 



6. S. angustifblium Mill. Erect or ascending, 

 stiff, glaucous, 1-5 dm. high ; the simple (rarely 

 forked) stems 1.5-3 mm. wide, distinctly winged, 

 exceeding the scarcely broader leaves ; spathes green, 

 rarely purplish, the outer bract with margins united 

 3-6 mm. above the base, 2-6.5 cm. long, the inner 1-3 cm. long ; 

 perianth violet (rarely white) ; capsules dull brown or purple- 

 tinged. Meadows, fields, and damp sandy soil, Nfd. to B. C., 

 s. to Va., Pa., Mich., Minn.; and in the Rocky Mts. May-July. 606. S. 

 FIG. 606. folium xy s . 



605. S. mucro- 

 natum x J / 8 . 



