^28 Okdbk 153.— XTRIDACBjB. 



3. MAYATA Aublet. Flowers regular ; sepals S, green, lanceolate ; 



petals 3, obovate, colored ; stamens 3, opposite the sepals, persistent ; 

 ovary 1-ceiled, style filiform, stigma simple ; capsule 8-valved, seeds 

 several; attached to the middle of the valves. — Moss-like aquatics, glab- 

 rous, creeping, branched, densely clothed with narrowly linear Ivs. 

 Ped. axillary, solitary, 1-flowered. 

 M. Miohauxii Schott. & Endl. Ped. longer than the Ivs., reflexed ia fruil ; caps. 



9 to 12-seeded; petals white. — Iq shallow waters, Va. to Ga. (Feay, Pond) ami 



Fla. (Mettauer). Sts. several inches long, somewhat resembling Sphagnum. Lvs. 



numerous and minute, bifid, 2 to 3" long, ped. thrioo longer. Sep. near 3" long. 



Seeds globular, white. Jh (Syona fluviatilis Ph.) 



Order CLIII. XYRIDACE^. Xyrids. 



Herbs sedge-like, with equitant leaves and a scape bearing a head of flowers. Pe- 

 rianth 6-parted,- in 2 series, sepals 3, glumaceous, peicUs 3, unguiculate. Stamens S, 

 with extrorse anthers, and inserted on the claw of the petals. Capsuk 3-valvod, 

 1-celIed, with parietal placentse, or 3-ceUed. Seeds numerous, albuminous, ortho- 

 tropous, embryo at the apex. 



Oenera 5, specien 70, uatives of tropical Asia, Africa anrl America, a few species of 2yris 

 oxtentiiiig into the United States. Of no important use. 



XY'RIS, L. Yellow-eyed Grass. (Gr. §vp6g, acute-pointed; in 

 allusion to the form of the leaves.) Heads of flowers ovoid-cylindric ; 

 sepals unequal, the 2 lateral glume-like, keeled, persistent, the odd one 

 membranous, involving the corolla in bud and deciduous ; petals equal 

 ovate, crenate, with narrow claws as long as the sepals ; capsule 1- 

 celled, with parietal placenta;.-— Lvs. linear, rigid, radical, sheathing the 

 base of the scape. Fls. in a terminal, dense head, with cartilaginous 

 bracts (scales) ; petals yellow. 



* Leaves very short (3 to 80"). Sepals frinjreless, tnftless. Sni.all and delicate. South.... No. i 



* Leaves elongated one-third to three-fourtbs tlio iengtii of the scape, (aj 



a Sepals with a wingless, fringeless keel, rarely crested. Plant bulbous at base No. 3 



a Sepals with a winged, fringed keel and crested apex, — short as tlie scale Nos. 8, 4 



— twice longer than the scale. . .No. 5 



1 X. brevifolia Mx. (neo EH.) Lvs. linear, subulate, falcate, acute, dislych- 

 ously imbricated, 3 to 5 times shorter than the filiform, angular scape ; head oval, 

 few-flowered, bracts rounded at ape.\;; sep. acute, lanceolate, the keel not winged, 

 merely scabrous. — Springy places. Car. to Fla^ Our smallest species. Scape i to 

 8' high. Lvs. 8 to 30" long, about 1" wide. Head not larger than a pepper- 

 corn. Apr, May. 



2 S. bulbosa Kunth. Bulbous; lvs. narrow-linear, obtusish, half as long sa 

 the angular, sulcato stem, both twisted ; head globular ovoid, bracts roundish- 

 ovate, very obtuse ; sep. oblong-lanceolate, minutely bearded on the sharp keel 

 and tufted at apex, a little .shorter than the bract. — Bogs, N. Kng. to Ga., W. lo 

 Ind. Scape slender, 9 to 30' high, lvs. 5 to 15'. Head about 5" long, bracts closely 



imbricate, concave. Jn. — Sept. (X. Jupicai Mx. X. Indica Ph. .X. torta Sm.'l 

 S. uiNOR. Dwarfish (3 to 8' high), slender; lvs. thrice shorter, scarcely twisted ; 

 sep. with an evident tuft at apex. — S. E. Ga. (Miss Keen.) 



3 X. Caroliniana 'Walt. Lvs. rigid, narrowly linear, a third or more shorter 

 than the flexuous, rigid, slightly 2-edged scape ; head elliptical, yellowish brown ; 

 sep. nan-ow, scarcely longer than the oval scales, conspicuously fringed on the 

 keel above the middle and crested at the obtuse apex. — Sandy swamp,?, N. Y. to 

 Fla. Sts. 1 to 2f high, more or less twisted. Lvs. 6 to 18' long, 1 to 2" or the 

 outer 3" wide. Head 6 to 7" long. Petals rather large. Jl., Aug. (X. flex- 

 uosa Ell. neo Muhl.) 



4 X. ambigua Kunth ? Lvs. gladiaie-linear, plain, 2 to 3 times shorter than 

 scapes; scapes {often clustei-ed) distinctly 2-edged, tall; head elliptic-ovoid, large, 



