ORDER 143. IBIDACE^E. 699 



angled. Pine barrens, Mid. Ga. and S. Car. (Bachman). St. and Ivs. 3 to 5', 

 high. Fls. blue, the sepals in the middle yellow. Feb., Mar. 



8 I. lacustris Nutt. NORTHERN LAKE IRIS. Lvs. ensiform, longer than the 

 low, compressed, 1-flowered scape ; seg. of the perianth nearly equal, obtuse, 

 emarginate, the sepals scarcely crested, as long as the slender tube ; caps, turbinate, 

 3-sided, margined. Islands of Lake Huron, near Mackinaw, Nuttall. Roots ex- 

 tensively creeping. Leaves 2 5' by 3 i", those of the scape bract-like. Scapo 

 1 to 2' high. Fls. pale blue, the sepals rather broader. Jn. 



9 I. vernata L. VERNAL IRIS. Lvs. linear-ensiform, rigid, rather longer than the 

 low, 1-flowered scape ; tube of the perianth filiform (2' long), about equaling tho 

 length of the segm. ; sep. and petals nearly equal, oblong-obovate, obtuse, neither 

 crested nor bearded, stig. deeply bifid. Hilly woods of the interior S. States. St. 

 or scape 3 to 5' high, sheathed with colored bracts. Fls. pale blue, the sepals 

 with an oblong, or orange yellow, spotted stripe. Mar., Apr. 



10 I. pumila L. DWARF IRIS. Scape very short (3 to 6'), 1-flowered; spathe 

 shorter than the tube ; sep. reflexed, narrower than the erect petals. A. small 

 species from Hungary, cultivated in tho edgings of walks. Lvs. numerous, 

 broad ensiform, suberect. Fls. large, deep purple, appearing in early spring, f 



2. NEMAS'TYLIS, Nutt. (Gr. itfpa, thread, orvXog, style.) Spathe 

 2-leaved ; perianth segments distinct down to the top of the ovary, tho 

 sepals spreading, larger than the ascending, concave petals ; stamens 3, 

 filaments shorter than the anthers ; style slender, enlarged and 3-cleft 

 above ; capsule oblong-cylindric. Stem very slender, with linear-ensi- 

 form Ivs. from a bulb. Spathe 2-fiowered. 



N. gemmiflora Nutt. Swamps along rivers, La. (Hale.) A pretty flower 15 to 

 20' high, Ivs. same length, 3 to 5" wide, tapering at each end. Fls. on pedicels 

 shorter than the spathe, the sepals 1' long, obovate-spatulate, bluish-purple, the 

 azure petals about half as large. 



3. TIGRID'IA, L. TIGER-FLOWER. (Lat. tigridis, of the tiger ; sc. 

 in colors.) Spathe 2-leaved ; perianth regular, the 3 sepals larger than 

 the 3 petals; stam. monadelphous, fil. united into a long tube. Bulbous. 



T. pavonia L. St. simple, flexuous; Ivs. ensiform, veined; segm. flat; 

 petals panduriform. A superb plant of tho gardens. St. 2f high, erect, terete, 

 leafy, branching. Lvs. erect, a foot long. Flowers inodorous, 5 to G' broad, yel- 

 low, variegated with scarlet, crimson and purple. It is very evanescent, lasts but 

 a few hours, but a new one appears daily for several weeks, f Mexico. 



4. SISYRINCHIUM, L. BLUE-EYED GRASS. (Gr. ov& a hog, and 

 pvyxog, a snout ; alluding to the singular spathe.) Spathe 2-leaved ; 

 segments of the perianth flat, equal j stamens monadelphous ; stigma 

 3-cleft. 2 Grass-like plants, with compressed, winged or ancipital 

 scapes, from fibrous roots. 



1 S. Bermudiamim L. Scape simple, winged; valves of tho spatho unequal, 

 the longer scarcely equaling the flowers ; petals mucronate. A delicate little plant, 

 with blue flowers, common in low grass lands, Can. and U. S. St. or scape 10 to 

 12' high, so winged as to resemble the leaves, smooth and mostly simple. Lvs. 

 linear, about as long as the scape, sheathing at base. Spatho 2 ta 5-flowered, the 

 longer valve acuminate. Fls. purple or blue, on filiform pedicels. Sepals a littlo 

 broader than the petals, spreading. Cap. globous. Jn., Jl. (3. anccps. Cav.) 



ft. ALBA. Flowers white. "Wet prairies, &c. 



2 S. mucronatum MX. Scapo simple, filiform, larely 2- edged ; spathe col- 

 ored, outer valve longer than thejls., ending in a long, mucronate point. Mid. States, 

 "W. to Iowa, common in wet prairies, where the grass is not luxuriant. Lvs. rad- 

 ical, a line wide. Scape 6 to 10' high, narrowly winged, setaceously slender. 

 Spathe 3 to 4-flowered, tinged with purple. Fls. smaller than in tho preceding, 

 of a fine blue color. Jn. Appears very distinct from the other. 



