302 



IRIDACEAE (IRIS FAMILY) 



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



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

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



Capsules dark brown, 4-C mm. high 



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 



d. Capsules brown or drab. 



Inner bract of the spathe 1.5-3 cm. long ; stems broadly winged. 



Pedicels loosely spreading, much exceeding the inner bract 



Pedicels strongly ascending, rarely exceeding the inner bract 



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



rowly margined. 



Capsules not beaked 



Capsules tipped by a short stout macro .... 



8. S.FarwdUi. 



9. S. arenicola. 



10. S. strictum. 



11. S. gramineum. 

 6. S. angustifolium. 



12. S. atlanticum. 



13. S. apiculatutn. 



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, barely 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 

 1 cm. long, white to violet; capsules subglobose (2.5-4 mm. high}, 

 ' ' 2 , ld l 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. camp6stre 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 - campestre 

 white ; capsules 2-4 mm. high. Prairies, Wise, to N. Dak., x 2 /3- 



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



6. S. mucronitum 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 straic-color or 

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

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



6. S. angustifdlium Mill. Erect or ascending, 

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

 605. s. mucro- for> ked) stems 1.5-3 mm. wide, distinctly winged, 

 natum x /, exceeding the scarcely broader leaves ; */></? Jn-x green, 

 rarely purplish, the outer bract with ma ruin* united 

 3-6 mm. above the ban/', 2-(5.f> cm. long, the inner 1-3 cut. lung ; 

 perianth violet (rarely white) ; cajixiih'* dull hr<nn> ur ]>urple- 

 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.anpusti- 

 FMI. (5IMJ. folium x Vs- 



