728 ORDER 153. XYRIDACE^E. 



3. MAYA^CA Aublet. Flowers regular ; sepals 3, green, lanceolate ; 

 petals 3, obovate, colored ; stamens 3, opposite the sepals, persistent ; 

 ovary 1 -celled, style filiform, stigma simple ; capsule 3-valved, seeds 

 several, attached to the middle of the valves. Moss-like aquatics, glab- 

 rous, creeping, branched, densely clothed with narrowly linear Ivs. 

 Ped. axillary, solitary, 1 -flowered. 

 M. Michatixii Schott. & Endl. Ped. longer than the Ivs., reflexed in fruit ; caps. 



9 to 12-seeded; petals white. In shallow waters, Va. to Ga. (Feay, Pond) and 



Fla. (Mettauer). Sts. several inches long, somewhat resembling Sphagnum. Lvs. 



numerous and minute, bifid, 2 to 3" long, ped. thrice longer. Sep. near 3" long. 



Seeds globular, white. JL (Syena fluviatilis Ph.) 



ORDER CLIII. XYRIDACE^E. XYRIDS. 



Herbs sedge-like, with equitant leaves and a scape bearing a head of flowers. Pe- 

 rianth 6-parted, in 2 series, sepals 3, glumaceous, petals 3, unguiculate. Stamens 3, 

 with extrorse anthers, and inserted on the claw of the petals. Capsule 3-valved, 

 1-celled, with parietal placentae, or 3-celled. Seeds numerous, albuminous, ortho- 

 tropous, embryo at the apex. 



Genera 5, species 70, natives of tropical Asia, Africa and America, a few species of Xyris 

 extending into the United States. Of no important use. 



XY'RIS, L. YELLOW-EYED GRASS. (Gr. %vpo$, acute-pointed; in 

 allusion to the form of the leaves.) Heads of flowers ovoid-cylindric ; 

 sepals unequal, the 2 lateral glume-like, keeled, persistent, the odd one 

 membranous, involving the corolla in bud and deciduous ; petals equal 

 ovate, crenate, with narrow claws as long as the sepals ; capsule 1- 

 celled, with parietal placentae. Lvs. linear, rigid, radical, sheathing the 

 base of the scape. Fls. in a terminal, dense head, with cartilaginous 

 bracts (scales) ; petals yellow. 



* Leaves very short (S to 30"). Sepals frinjreless, tuftless. Small and delicate. South No. 1 



* Leaves elongated one-third to three-fourths the length of the scape, (a) 



a Sepals with a wingless, fringeless keel, rarely crested. Plant bulbous at base No. 2 



a Sepals with a winged, fringed keel and crested apex, short as the scale Nos. 3, 4 



twice longer than the scale... No. 5 



1 X. brevifolia Mr. (nee Ell.) Lvs. linear, subulate, falcate, acute, distych- 

 ously imbricated, 3 to 5 times shorter than the filiform, angular scape ; head oval, 

 few-flowered, bracts rounded at apex ; sep. acute, lanceolate, the keel not winged, 

 merely scabrous. Springy places, Car. to Fla. Our smallest species. Scape 4 to 

 8' high. Lvs. 8 to 30" long, about 1" wide. Head not larger than a pepper- 

 corn. Apr., May. 



2 X. bulbosa Kunth. Bulbous; Ivs. narrow-linear, obtusish, half as long as 

 the angular, sulcato stem, both twisted ; head globular ovoid, bracts roundish- 

 ovate, very obtuse ; sep. oblong-lanceolate, minutely bearded on the sharp keel 

 and tufted at apex, a little shorter than the bract. Bogs, N. Eng. to Ga., W. to 

 Ind. Scape slender, 9 to 30' high, Ivs. 5 to 15'. Head about 5" long, bracts closely 



imbricate, concave. Jn. Sept. (X. Jupicai MX. X. Indica Ph. X. torta Sm.) 

 3. MINOR. Dwarfish (3 to 8' high), slender ; Ivs. thrice shorter, scarcely twisted ; 

 sep. with an evident tuft at apex. S. E. Ga. (Miss Keen.) 



3 X. Caroliniana "Walt. Lvs. rigid, narrowly linear, a third or more shorter 

 than the flexuous, rigid, slightly 2-edged scape ; head elliptical, yellowish brown ; 

 sep. narrow, scarcely longer than the oval scales, conspicuously fringed on the 

 keel above the middle and crested at the obtuse apex. Sandy swamps, N. Y. to 

 Fla. Sts. 1 to 2f high, more or less twisted. Lvs. 6 to 18' long, 1 to 2" or the 

 outer 3" wide. Head G to 7" long. Petals rather large. JL, Aug. (X. flex- 

 uosa Ell. nee Muhl.) 



4 X. ambigua Kunth ? Lvs. gladiats-linear, plain, 2 to 3 times shorter than 

 scapes; scapes (often clustered) distinctly 2-edged, tall; head elliptic-ovoid, large, 



