15 



IRIDACEAE, the Iris Family 



Herbs, with 6-parted perianth, inferior ovary, and 3 stamens. 



la. Flowers blue, 5 cm. wide or larger 2. 



Ib. Flowers about 1 cm. wide (blue or white, from a spathe terminat- 

 ing a 2-edged stem 2 5 dm. high, spring and early summer) 

 (Blue-eyed Grass) 3. 



2a. Flowering stems 4 8 dm. high (early summer) 



Blue Flag 1 , Iris versfoolor. 

 2b. Flowering stems 2 dm. or less high (spring) 



Dwarf Iris, Iris lacustris, 



3a. Spathes terminal, sessile 4. 



3b. Spathes long-peduncled, axillary 8. 



4a. Spathe single 5. 



4b. Spathes 2 on each flowering stem 7. 



5a. Pedicels much longer than the inner ('shorter) bract 



Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium mucronatum, 



5b. Pedicels equaling or barely exceeding the inner bract 6. 



6a. Capsule brown; common species 



Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium. 

 6b. Capsule green or yellowish; rare species 



Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium moiitaimm. 



7a. Leaves folded lengthwise; stems narrowly winged 



Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium hastile. 

 7b. Leaves flat; stem broadly winged, 2 3 mm. wide 



Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium albidiim. 



8a. Capsules pale straw-color or whitish 9. 

 8b. Capsules brown, or tinged with purple' 10. 



9a. Plant with straight fibrous bristles at base; pedicels long-ex- 

 serted Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium farwellii, 



9b. Plants not bristly at base; pedicels barely exserted 



Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium strictum, 



lOa. Pedicels scarcely exceeding the inner bract 6a. 

 1Gb. Pedicels much exceeding the inner bract 11. 



Ha. Stem* 2 6 mm. wide; bracts 1.5 2 cm. long 



Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium grammeum, 

 lib. Stem 1 2 mm. wide; bracts 1 1.5 cm. long 



Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium apiculatum, 



ORCHIDACEAE, the Orchis Family 



Herbs, with irregular flowers, one petal, the lip, differing from 

 the others in size and shape, inferior ovary, and one or two stamens 

 adherent to the style. 



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