SISYRINCHIUM: ANATOMICAL STUDIES OF NORTH 
AMERICAN SPECIES 
THEO. Horm 
(WITH PLATES X, XI, XIA) 
Before the genus Sisyrinchium becomes entirely lost in segregates 
and in new species, which in late years have accumulated very rapidly, 
it might be appropriate to present some notes to demonstrate the 
characteristics of the genus as represented within our own boundaries. 
Three sections are recognized by BENTHAM and HooKER: BER- 
MUDIANA Adans., ECHTHRONEMA Herb. (Hypastvius Salisb.), and 
ERIPHILEMA Herb., based on floral structure, and especially whether 
the filaments are connate for their entire length or only partly so. 
In his work on the Botany of California Watson reached the same 
Conclusion, and considered these floral characters as being merely 
of sectional importance. But in late years some American writers 
have raised these sections to generic rank, though with the preference 
of Sisyrinchium for Bermudiana, and Hydastylus for Echthronema, 
and without having invented any other distinctive characters than the 
Hloral, already described by BentHam and Hooker, and by Watson. 
In fact the habit of these plants is very much alike; and strikingly so 
when compared with Iris, in which genus the floral structure exhibits 
no small modification, and besides, the habit is extremely variable; 
oo Tris has not yet suffered the same dissolution as Sisyrin- 
lum, 
The internal structure of the Irideae has already been studied by 
some authors, but not very extensively, since only the leaves have 
” examined. Ross,' and CHopat and BaLicka-IwANOWSKA? 
have published some very interesting anatomical papers dealing with 
the foliar Structure of a large number of genera, but very little has 
1 written in regard to our genus Sisyrinchium. The following 
may thus be considered as supplemental to these papers, but 
have included the structure of the stem and root for the sake of 
a om comparata delle foglie delle Iridee. Malpighia 6: 1892; and 7: 1893. 
feuille des Iridées, Jour. de Botanique. 1892. 
*79] [Botanical Gazette, vol. 46 
