92 Iridaceae 



style ; stigma capitate, long-papillate, minutely per- 

 forate. Fruit capsular incompletely 6-celled, 3-valved 

 through the laciniate false septa. Seeds thin flat. 



1. H. Whipplei (Torr.) Baker. Simple or sometimes csespi- 

 tose; leaves ascending, rigid, 3-10 dm. long, about 15 mm. wide, 

 plano-convex subtriquetrous or keeled on both faces, sometimes 

 falcate striate glaucous, keenly but finely denticulate, with very 

 fine slender pungent end spine; panicle 2-5 m. high, long 

 peduncled, glabrous; flowers creamy-white, pendent, fragrant, 

 capsule about 5 cm. long. (Yucca Whipplei Torr.; Y. Whipplei 

 graminifolia Wood.) 



Common in the chaparral belt in all our mountains. June-July. 



YUCCA ARBORESCENS (Torr.) Trelease. (JOSHUA TREE.) The 

 large yucca of the Mohave Desert. 



13. ASPARAGUS L. ASPARAGUS. 



Stem at first simple fleshy scaly, at length much 

 branched, the branchlets filiform and mostly clustered 

 in the axils of the scales and usually flattened. Flowers 

 small solitary or clustered. Perianth segments all alike. 

 Stamens inserted at the base of the segments ; anthers in- 

 trorse. Ovules 2 in each cell ; style slender ; stigmas 3 

 short recurved. Berry globose. 



1. A. officinalis L. An escape from cultivation and becoming 

 well established. May. 



Family 11. IRIDACEAE. IRIS FAMILY. 



Perennial herbs with narrow equitant 2-ranked leaves 

 and perfect regular or irregular mostly clustered flowers 

 subtended by bracts. Perianth of 6 segments or 6 lobes, 

 its tube adnate to the ovary, the segments or lobes in 2 

 series, convolute in the bud withering-persistent. Sta- 

 mens 3, inserted on the perianth opposite the outer 

 series of segments or lobes ; filaments filiform distinct 

 or united ; anthers 2-celled extrorse. Ovary inferior 



