IXIACEAE 297 



the base ; blades 1-2 mm. wide, cuspidate-acute, usually scabrous or even canescently in- 

 crustate with minute white setulose papillae, sometimes less so or quite smooth above : 

 scapes slender, but stiff, about J longer than the leaves, 1-2 mm. wide, flattened, usually 

 roughened like the leaves, at least below, the wing-margins with rough edges : spathes 2 

 or rarely 3 together, mostly green, the bracts more or less roughened, the primary bract 

 stiff and elongated, 3.5-11.5 cm. long, usually smooth or nearly so above, the inferior outer 

 bract attenuate, often slenderly prolonged, 1.2-3.8 cm. long, surpassing the inner bracts: 

 pedicels loosely erect or flexuously much exserted : perianth pale blue, 8-12 mm. long. 

 On hillsides or in woods, North Carolina. Spring. 



8. Sisyrinchium Asheanum Bicknell. Similar to S. scabrellum, but lower and more 

 slender, with the leaves and bracts slightly if at all roughened. Leaf -blades 0.5-1.5 mm. 

 wide, tapering to a hardened acute or obtuse tip : scapes 1.5-3 dm. tall, about 1 mm. wide : 

 spathes mostly red-purple, the primary bract 2-6 cm. long, those of the spathes proper 1-1.6 

 cm. long ; first (outer) bract of the outer spathe mostly not longer than the inner one or 

 even shorter : perianth rather smaller than that of the preceding species, deep violet-blue. 



In wet meadows, North Carolina. Spring. 



9. Sisyrinchium capillare Bicknell. Plants extremely slender and delicate, 2-4.5 

 dm. tall, in thin tufts, closely fibrillose at the base, glaucescent, drying a dull olive-green. 

 Leaves almost filiform, 0.5 mm. wide or less, attenutate, often developing hardened tips, 

 like the spathes often dull purple at the base : scapes - again higher than the leaves 

 which they resemble, smooth, firm-margined : spathes mostly in pairs, sometimes solitary 

 or 3 together, sessile and subtended by an elongated (2-8.5 cm.) slender, accessory bract*: 

 bracts of the spathe nearly equal, 10-13 mm. long, narrowly acute or aculeate : flowers on 

 slenderly exserted finally spreading pedicels : perianth light violet-blue, 6-8 mm. long : 

 capsules pale, subglobose, 2-3 mm. high : seeds 0.75 mm. in diameter, distinctly alveolate. 



In flat sandy woods, North Carolina to Florida. Spring. 



10. Sisyrinchium biforme Bicknell. Plants in scant tufts, 20-40 cm. high, pale 

 green and glaucescent. Roots stout and simple : leaf -blades 1-1.5 mm. wide, very acute, 

 prominently close-nerved, the edges smooth : scapes often twice the height of the leaves, 

 and as stiff, narrow, simple or with 1-3 terminal peduncles, sinuous or straight, subterete, 

 the smooth margins sometimes almost obsolete : peduncles 5-7 cm. long, longer than the 

 erect bracteal leaf : spathes narrow, often subterete at the base, 1.5-3 cm. long, the bracts stiff, 

 cuspidate-acute, the inner one mostly longer than the outer, flattened-navicular, with an 

 incurved apex : interior scales crowded, nearly equalling the^bracts : pedicels erect, slightly 

 exserted : capsules dark brown, 5-7 mm. high, broadly oblong, many -seeded : seeds 1-1.25 

 mm. in diameter, coarsely pitted. 



In dry soil, San Felipe, Texas. Spring. 



11. Sisyrinchium intermedium Bicknell. Plants tufted 1.5-3.5 dm. tall, dull 

 green, turning dark in drying. Leaves erect ; blades 1.5-2.5 mm. wide, attenuate, and 

 cuspidate-acute, thin and grass-like, the edges serrulate to smooth : scapes mostly twice as 

 long as the leaves, straight, frail, 1-2.5 mm. wide, the thin wings fine-serrulate: peduncles 

 1-2, 3-7 cm. long : spathes mostly purple, narrow, rather sharply 2-edged, the sides margined 

 below by the ascending wings of the scape or peduncle, the bracts thin, glabrous, the outer one 

 2-6 cm. long, on simple scapes prolonged beyond the inner 1-4 cm., the edges not united 

 below ; inner bracts 1.5-2 cm. long : perianth pale-blue, 8-14 mm. long : ovary glabrous : 

 capsules dark, thin-walled, about 4 mm. high, on slender flexuously spreading pedicels. 



In sandy soil, New Jersey to North Carolina. Late spring. 



12. Sisyrinchium versicolor Bicknell. Plants tufted, becoming 3.5 dm. tall, pale 

 green or glaucous, not drying dark. Leaves rather stiff, rose-pink at the base ; blades 

 1.5-3 mm. wide, close-striate, the edges like those of the scape mostly serrulate-roughened : 

 scapes 1-2.5 mm. wide, simple or frequently developing an erect bracteal leaf and 2 pedun- 

 cles : spathes mostly purple-tinged, their bracts like the bracteal leaf roughened all over, 

 with minute papillae, often prominently striate, the outer bract 2.5-5 cm. long, much pro- 

 longed beyond the inner or little surpassing it when the scape is branched, the margins 

 not united below, the inner bract 17-20 mm. long : perianth pale blue, 10-12 mm. long : 

 capsules pale, about 3 mm. in diameter, on delicate slenderly exserted pedicels. 



In sandy soil, District of Columbia to North Carolina and Georgia. Spring. 



13. Sisyrinchium xerophyllum Greene. Plants tufted, coarsely brown-fibrose at 

 the base, dull green, glaucescent, drying dark brown. Leaves stiff, becoming flexuous, 

 often longer than the scapes ; blades 2-4 mm. wide, closely striate, transversely rugulose or 

 granulose between the nerves, the edges obscurely roughened to smooth : scapes 2-3 mm. 

 wide, winged, above passing into the primary bract which subtends the lateral appearing 

 cluster of 2-6 short-peduncled spathes : peduncles 2-6 cm. or even 10 cm. long, slightly 



