IRIDACEAE (IRIS FAMILY) 301 



9. I. cristata Ait. (CRESTED DWARF IRIS.) Leaves lanceolate (1-2 dm. 

 long when grown, 1-2 cm. broad); those of the spathe ovate-lanceolate, shorter 

 than the thread-like tube, which is 4-5 cm. long and much longer than the light- 

 blue obovate short-clawed sepals and petals; sepals crested but beardless ; cap- 

 sule sharply triangular. Kich woods, Md. to Ga., locally w. to O., Ind., and 

 Mo. Apr., May. Flowers fragrant. 



10. I. lacustris Nutt. (LAKE DWARF IRIS.) Tube rather shorter than the 

 sepals and petals (yellowish, 1-2 cm. long), dilated upward, not exceeding the 

 spathe ; otherwise as in the last, and too near it. Gravelly shores of Lakes 

 Huron, Michigan, and Superior. May. 



2. NEMASTYLIS Nutt. 



Sepals and petals similar and nearly equal, spreading. Style short, its slen- 

 der 2-parted branches exserted between the anthers ; stigmas minute, terminal. 

 Capsule obovoid, truncate, dehiscent at the summit. Seeds globose or angled. 

 Stems terete, with few plicate leaves, and few fugacious flowers from 2-bracted 

 spathes. (Name from vy^a, a thread, and vrvXls, style, for the slender style- 

 branches.) 



1. N. acuta (Bart.) Herb. Stem 1-6 dm. high ; spathes 2-flowered ; flowers 

 pale blue-purple, 4-7 cm. broad, the divisions oblong-obovate ; capsule 1-1.3 cm. 

 long. (N. geminiflora Nutt.) Prairies and barrens, Mo. to Tenn., La., and 

 Tex. Apr.-June. 



3. BELAMCANDA Adans. BLACKBERRY LILT 



Sepals and petals widely and equally spreading, all nearly alike, oblong with 

 a narrowed base, naked. Stamens monadelphous only at base ; anthers oblong. 

 Style club-shaped, 3-cleft. Capsule pear-shaped ; the valves at length falling 

 away, leaving the central column covered with the globose black and fleshy- 

 coated seeds, imitating a blackberry (whence the popular name). Perennial, 

 with rootstocks, foliage, etc., of an Iris; the branching stems (0.5-1 m. high) 

 loosely many-flowered ; the orange-yellow flower mottled with crimson-purple 

 spots. (An East Indian name for the species.) GEMMINGIA Fabricius. 



1. B. CHINENSIS (L.) DC. Roadside thickets, open woods, etc., near 

 towns, Ct. to Kan. and Ga. ; common south w. June, July. (Nat. from Asia.) 



4. SISYRINCHIUM L. BLUE-EYED GRASS 



Sepals and petals (perianth) alike, spreading. Capsule globular, 3-angled. 

 Seeds globular. Low slender perennials, with fibrous roots, grassy or lanceo- 

 late leaves, 2-edged or winged stems, and fugacious umbeled-clustered small 

 flowers from a usually 2-leaved spathe. (A meaningless name, of Greek origin.) 



a. Spathes sessile and terminal Z>. 

 b. Spathes 2, with a single outer leaf-like bract. 



Stems subterete, scarcely wing-margined ; filaments free above ; 



anthers 4.5 mm. long 1. 8. hastile. 



Stems flattened, distinctly wing-margined ; filaments united to the 



summit ; anthers at most 2.5 mm. long 2. S. albidum. 



b. Spathes solitary. 



Flowers yellow 8. S.flaviftorum, 



Flowers blue, violet, or white. 



Outer elongate bract with the margins free to the base; cap- 

 sules pale '. 4. S. campestre. 



Outer bract with the margins united above the base. 

 Pedicels loosely spreading, much exceeding the inner bract; 



capsules 2-4 mm. high 5. S. mucronatinn. 



Pedicels suberect, scarcely exceeding the inner bract ; cap- 

 sules 4-6 mm. high. 



Capsules drab or dull brown 6. S. angusUfolium 



Capsules whitish-green or straw-color 7. S. montanum. 



