XYRIS. CLVIII. XTRlDACEvE. 5fi3 



1. C. ANGUSTIFOLIA. Michx. ? (C. erecta. Willd.} Day Flower. 



St. assurgent, branching, subgeniculate ;. Ivs. lanceolate, subpetiolate, 

 sheaths split to the base ; spathe broad-cordate, distinct and open at base, en- 

 folding 2 peduncles and several flowers ; pedicels contorted ; pet. unequal, the . 

 lower one much smaller, unguiculate ; sta. 2, perfect. Dry soils, Middle ! 

 Southern and Western States ! Plant nearly smooth, 12 18' high, glabrous. 

 Leaves 3 5' by 8 14", varying from lance-linear to lance-ovate. Spathe 

 veiny, 3 5-flowered. Petals deep blue. July, Aug. 



2. C. VIRGINICA. Linn. 1 (C. longifolia. Michx.') 



St. erect, branched at base, ciliate-pubescent ; Ivs. lanceolate, subpetiolate, 

 sheaths entire, elongated, ciliate-pilose ; bracts deltoid-falcate, united and entire 

 at base as if peltate, about 2-flowered ; pet. nearly equal ; sta. 3, perfect. Rocky 

 woods, thickets, Penn. (Muhl.} Harper's Ferry ! to Ga. A more slender, but 

 erect species, 1 2f high. Leaves 3 5' by 6 -12", usually narrow-lanceolate, 

 pilose-scabrous, the sheaths near 1' long. Spathe broadly funnel-shaped. Pe- 

 tals blue. July, Aug. Neither of these plants agrees with the descriptions in 

 the books. 



2. TRADESCANTIA. 



Named in honor of John Tradescant, gardener to Charles I. 



Sepals persistent ; petals large, suborbicular, spreading ; filaments 

 clothed with jointed hairs ; anthers reniform. % Fls. in terminal, 

 close umbels, subtended by 2 or 3 long, leafy bracts. 



1. T. VIRGINICA. Spider-wort. 



St. erect, simple or branched ; Ivs. lance-linear, channeled above, sessile, 

 glabrous ;fls. in a terminal, subumbellate cluster, pedicels finally elongated and 

 reflexed; cal. pubescent. Moist meadows, prairies, &c., Middle! and Western 

 States ! common. Stem thick, round, jointed, 2 3f high. Leaves numerous, " 

 subpilose, 12 18' by 6 12", the bracts similar. Petals large, suborbicular, 

 of a deep, rich blue, soon fading. May Aug. The juice of the plant is viscid 

 and spins into thread; hence the common name. 



/?. 1 (T. subaspera. Sims.?) Lvs. lanceolate, narrowed to the base, pilose 

 both sides, sheaths entire, ciliate with long, white hairs ; umbels both axillary 

 and terminal ; fls. small, rose-colored. Shady river banks, la. ! 



2. T. ROSEA. Michx. 



St. erect, simple ; Ivs. linear, glabrous, channeled, amplexicaul ; ped. 

 elongated ; cal. glabrous. Penn. to Ga., in moist woods. Stem 8 12' high. 

 Leaves 68' by 2 3'. Umbel terminal, subtended by 2 or 3 subulate bracts. 

 Pedicels nearly 1' long. Flowers much smaller than in the preceding species. 

 Petals rose-colored, twice longer than the smooth calyx. May. 



ORDER, CLVIII. XYRIDACE^. XYRIDS. 



Herbs, sedge-like, with linear or ensiform leaves. Fls. capitate at the top of a simple scape. 



Perianth 6-parted, in 2 series, sepals 3, glumaceous, petals 3, unguiculate. [ments. 



Sta. 6, 3 of them with extrorse anthers and inserted on the claw of the petals, the other 3 abortive fila- 



Ova. single. Style trifid. Stigmas obtuse, lobed. 



Fr Capsule 3-valved, 1 celled, with parietal placentae, or 3-celled. 



Seeds numerous, albuminous. 



Genera 5, species ^0, natives of tropical Asia, Africa and America, a few species of Xyru sxtendinf 

 into the United States. Of no important use. 



XYRIS. 



Gr. t>j90f , acute-pointed ; in allusion to the form of the leaves. 



Heads of flowers ovoid-cylindric ; sepals cartilaginous ; petals 

 equal, ovate, crenate, with narrow>.claws as long as the sepals ; cap- 

 eule 1-celled, with parietal placentaB. Los. narrowly Linear, rigid, 

 radical^ sheathing the base of the scape. Fls. in a terminal, dense head, 

 petals yellow. 



1. X. CAROLINIANA. Lam. (X. Jupacai. MX. X. nexuosa. Ell.} Yel- 

 low-eyed Grass. Scape slender, compressed and ancipitous above ; Ivs 

 48 



