284 FLORA. 



slender, branched, creeping, tt jerous-thickened. Stems only 2-8 cm. high, 1-2- 

 flowered; leaves lanceolate, bright green, 1-2 dm. long, 6 1 8 mm. wide, much ex- 

 ceeding the stems ; stem flattened; flowers blue, pedicelled ; perianth-segments 

 obovate, 2.5-3.3 cm. long, the outer crested, little longer than the naked inner ones, 

 the tube very slender, 3-6 cm. long above the ovary, longer than the bracts; cap- 

 sule oval, sharply triangular, narrowed at each end, 1.2-2 cm. high. 'On hillsides 

 and along streams, Md. to S. Ohio, Ind., Ga., Tenn. and Mo. April-May. 



ir. Tris lacustris Nutt. DWARF LAKE IRIS. (I. F. f. 1079.) Similar to 

 the preceding in size and foliage, or the leaves rather narrower, sometimes wavy- 

 margined. Flowers blue ; perianth-tube only 1-2.5 cm. long, shorter than the 

 bracts and the sometimes yellowish perianth-segments, somewhat expanded up- 

 ward; capsule ovoid, about 1.5 cm. high, borne on a pedicel of about its own 

 length. Shores of Lakes Huron and Superior. Local. May. 



12. Iris verna L. DWARF IRIS. (I. F. f. 1080.) Rootstock slender. Stems 

 2-8 cm. high, usually i-flowered. Leaves narrowly linear, 0.7-2 dm. high, 4-10 

 mm. wide; flowers violet-blue or rarely white, pedicelled; perianth-segments crest- 

 less, the outer about 3 cm. long, obovate, narrowed into slightly pubescent slender 

 yellow claws, the inner somewhat smaller, glabrous; capsule obtusely triangular, 

 short. On shaded hillsides and in woods, S. Penn., Va., Ky. and Ga. April- 

 May. 



2. NEMASTYLIS Nutt. 



Bulbous herbs, with erect slender terete usually branched stems, and elongated 

 linear folded leaves. Flowers rather large, in our species blue or purple, solitary 

 or several together, fugacious, subtended by 2 herbaceous bracts. Perianth of 6 

 spreading nearly equal obovate segments, distinct nearly or quite to the summit of 

 the ovary. Filaments more or less united; anthers short; style short, its branches 

 slenderly 2-parted; stigmas small, terminal. Capsule loculicidally dehiscent at the 

 summit. [Greek, referring to the thread-like style-branches.] About 10 species, 

 natives of America. Besides the following, some 3 others occur in the southern 

 U. S. 



i. Nemastylis acuta (Bart.) Herb. NORTHERN NEMASTYLIS. (I. F. f. 

 1081.) I3ulb dark colored, ovoid, scaly, 2.5 cm. long or less. Stem 3-6 dm. 

 tall, bearing 3 or 4 leaves 0.7-2.5 dm. long, 3-5 mm. wide; bracts lanceolate, each 

 pair subtending I or 2 flowers; flowers light blue or purple, 2-5 cm. broad, slender- 

 pedicelled; pedicels rather shorter than the bracts; perianth-segments obtuse; style- 

 branches exserted between the free parts of the filaments, their filiform divisions 

 4-6 mm. long ; capsule obovoid, 10-12 mm. high. On prairies, Tenn. to.Kans., 

 Ark., La. and Tex. April-June. 



3. GEMMI'NGIA Fabr. [PARDANTHUS Ker.] 



An erect perennial herb, with stout rootstocks and Iris-like leaves. Flowers in 

 terminal bracted clusters, rather large, crimson and purple-mottled. Perianth of 6 

 oblong spreading nearly equal withering-persistent segments, distinct very nearly 

 to the summit of the ovary. Stamens inserted on the bases of the segments; anthers 

 linear-oblong. Style very slender, enlarged above, the 3 slender undivided branches 

 alternate with the anthers. Capsule fig-shaped, obovoid, thin-walled, loculicidally 

 3-vaived, the valves recurving, finally falling away, exposing the mass of black 

 fleshy seeds, borne on a central axis. A monotypic genus of eastern Asia. 



i. Gemmingia Chinensis (L.) Kuntze. BLACKBERRY LILY. (I. F. f. 1082.) 

 Stem stout, 0.4-1.2 m. tall, leafy. Leaves equitant, 2-2.5 dm. l n g' 1.6-2.5 cm. 

 wide, the two sides united above the middle; upper bracts scarious; flowers several 

 or numerous, 3-5 cm. broad; perianth-segments obtuse, mottled with crimson and 

 purple, persistent; capsule about 2.5 cm. high, the persistent mass of globose 

 black seeds resembling a blackberry. On hills and along roadsides, S. N. Y. to 

 Ga., Ind. and Mo. Nat. from Asia. June-July. 



4 . SISYRI'NCHIUM L.* 



Perennial mostly tufted slender herbs with fibrous roots from contracted root- 

 stocks, simple or branched 2 -winged or 2 -edged stems, and linear grass-like leaves. 



* Contributed by Mr. E. P. BICKNELL. 



