334 XYRIDACE^. Xyris. 



1. Xyris Caroliniana, Walt, Common Yellow-eyed Grass. 



Smooth ; leaves linear, gladiate ; scape somewhat ancipital, much longer than the leaves ; 

 head roundish-ovoid ; bracts orbicular-obovate ; lateral sepals lanceolate, ciliate on the upper 

 part of the keel.— Walt. fl. Car. p. 69 ; Pursh, Jl. I. p. 33 ; Torr. fl. 1 . p. 40 ; Beck, hot. 

 p. 370 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 12; Kunth, enum. 4. p. 11. X. Jupacai, Miclix.fi. 1. p. 23 ; 

 Bigel. jl. Bost. p. 17. X. flexuosa & anceps, Muhl. cat. p. 5. X. fle.xuosa, Ell. sk. 1. 

 p. 51. X. bulbosa, Kunth, I. c. 



Scape often somcvyhat bulbous at the base, 6-18 inches high, distinctly ancipital parti- 

 cularly on the upper part, often twisted or flexuous. Leaves variable in length, sometimes 

 scarcely one-fourth the length of the scape, at other times (particularly in very wet places) 

 more than half its length, 1-2 lines wide, flat or twisted. Head about one-third of an inch 

 long ; the scales rigid and convex, dull green in the centre, with a yellowish brown margin ; 

 the lower ones empty. Lateral sepals strongly carinate, somewhat incurved ; the inner one 

 of a thin delicate texture, involving the unexpanded corolla. Petals ovate, crenate ; the claws 

 nearly as long as the bracts. Fertile stamens short : anther-cells linear, distinct : filaments 

 cohering with the claws of the petals. Abortive stamens alternating with the fertile ones, 

 purple, laciniate ; the segments tufted with jointed hairs. Style as long as the stamens, deeply 

 3-parted ; the stigmas obtuse and entire. Capsule oblong, membranaceous. Seeds minute, 

 numerous, oblong. 



Sandy swamps, Long Island ; Troy {Prof. Eaton). Fl. July - August. Fr. September. 



Order CXXIIL ERIOCAULONACEiE. L. C.Rich. The Pipewort Tribe. 



Flowers mixed with hairs or scales, in compact heads, monoecious or dioecious. 

 Calyx of 2 - 3 sepals. Corolla somewhat petaloid. Sterile fl. Corolla 

 tubular or funnel-form ; the limb more or less deeply 2 - 3-cleft. Stamens 

 6 or sometimes only 3 : anthers introrse. Pistil rudimentary. Fertile fl. 

 Corolla of 2 - 3 petals. Ovary 3- (rarely 2-) celled, with a solitary suspended 

 ovule in each cell : style short : stigmas as many as the cells of the ovary, 

 elongated. Capsule 2 - 3-celled, loculicidal, with a single seed in each cell. 

 Embryo at the extremity of ftirinaceous albumen. — Herbs, growing in water 

 or swamps, with fasciculate-fibrous roots, linear and mostly radical leaves, and 

 the flowers collected in a dense solitary head at the summit of the scape. 



