802 



lEIDACEAE (iris FAMILY) 



a. Spathes peduncled from the axil of the leaf-like bract c. 



c. Old leaf-bases persisting as tufts of straight bristle-like fibers. 



Capsules pale straw-color or whitish, 3-4 mm. high .... 



Capsules dark brown, 4-6 mm. high 



C. Old leaf-bases soon deciduous, or, if persisting, merely loose irregular 

 soft shreds d. 

 d Capsules pale straw-color or whitish ; peduncles and pedicels strictly 



erect 10. <S. stHctum. 



d. Capsules brown or drab. 



Inner bract of the spathe 1.5-3 cm. long ; stems broadly winged. 

 Pedicels loosely spreading, much exceeding the inner bract 

 Pedicels strongly ascending, rarely exceeding the inner bract . 

 Inner bract of the spathe 1-1.5 cm. long ; stems slender and nar- 

 rowly margined. 



Capsules not beaked 



Capsules tipped by a short stout mucro ..... 



11. 



S. Farwellii. 

 S. arenicola. 



S. gramineum. 

 S. angustifolium. 



S. atlanticum. 

 S. apiculatum. 



603, 



S. albidum 



1. S. hastile Bicknell. Stiff and erect, dull green, about 4 dm. high, the 

 stem (1-1.5 mm. wide) narrowly margined hut not loinged; leaves firm and stiff, 

 slender and conduplicate, barely 1 mm. broad, except at the flat- 

 tened base ; the 2 spathes closely sessile, each 4-bracted, the lance- 

 attenuate strongly nerved inner bracts 1.5-2.5 cm. long, much 

 exceeded by the linear outer bract ; pedicels barely exserted 

 beyond the inner bracts. — Sandy shores, Belle Isle, Detroit R., 

 Mich. May, June. 



2. S. dlbidum Raf. Erect, pale green or glaucous, 1.5-4.5 dm. 

 high ; stems 1-3 mm. wide, usually twice exceeding lYvejlat leaves ; 

 spathes with lance-acuminate pale or purple-tinged inner bracts 

 (1.3-2.3 cm. long), usually twice exceeded by the erect outer 

 bract ; pedicels with slightly spreading exserted tips ; flowers about 

 1 cm. long, white to violet; capsules subglobose (2.5-4 mm. high), 

 pale straw-color. — O. and w. Ont. to Wise, and south w ; locally 

 introd. in Ct. May, June. Fig. 603. 



3. S. flaviflbrum Bicknell. Erect (2-2.5 dm. high), pale green or glaucous ; 

 stems flat, wing-margined, 1.5-3 mm. broad, usually exceeding the flat slightly 

 broader leaves ; bracts of the spathe pale green with conspicuous 



narrow hyaline margins, the inner bract 2-3 cm. long, twice 

 exceeded by the outer ; pedicels shorter than the inner bract. — 

 Open woods, borders of prairies, w. Mo. May, June. 



4. S. campestre Bicknell. Caespitose, glaucous, slender (1-5 

 dm. high); the flat stems (1-3 mm. broad) winged, somewhat 

 exceeding the leaves ; spathes gibbous, green or tinged with pink, 

 the outer bract (2.5-4.5 cm. long) with margins free to the base, 

 rarely twice exceeding the inner; pedicels with curved tips, 

 equaling or exceeding the inner bract; perianth pale blue or 

 white; capsules 2-4 mm. high. — Prairies, Wise, to N. Dak., 

 and southw. Apr.-June. Fig. 604. 



5. S. mucronatum Michx. Similar but greener; stems 0.5-1.5 mm. broad, 

 narrowly winged, usually twice longer than the slightly broader leaves ; spathes 



usually purple-tinged, not gibbous, the outer bract with the mar- 

 I gins united a little above the base, 2-7 cm. long, the inner 1-2 cm. 



long; perianth violet (rarely white) ; capsules straw-color or 

 greenish-yellow. — Meadows, fields, and open woods, w. Mass. to 

 Va. and Mich. May, June. Fig. 605. 



6. S. angustifblium Mill. Erect or ascending, 

 stiff, glaucous, 1-5 dm. high ; the simple (rarely 

 forked) stems 1.5-3 mm. wide, distinctly winged, 

 exceeding the scarcely broader leaves ; spathes green, 

 rarely purplish, the outer bract with margins united 

 3-6 mm. above the base, 2-6.5 cm. long, the inner 1-3 cm. long ; 

 perianth violet (rarely white) ; capsules dull brown or purple- 

 tinged. — Meadows, fields, and damp sandy soil, Nfd. to B. C, 

 s. to Va., Pa., Mich., Minn.; and in the Rocky Mts. May-July. 606. s. angustr- 

 Fig. 606. foli^^™ ^ Vs- 



604. S. campestre 

 xVa- 



605. S. mucro 

 natum x Vs- 



