Ilris Jfamil^. 



Blue-eyed Grass. SisyrincJiium angustifoliwm. 



Blue-eyed Mary. 



Found, during June and July, in moist meadows and pastures 

 amidst grasses. 



A few leaves and the flower-stem, from 4 to 8 inches in height, 

 rise from the root. 



The leaf is like a grass-blade, fine-pointed, flat, and very thin, 

 especially along the margins ; it is slightly ridged with veins, and is 

 smooth. In color, a strong green with a hint of blue. 



The 6 petal-like parts of the flower are oblong and blunt-pointed, 

 with an abrupt sharp tip ; their texture is thin, and they spread widely. 

 The coloring is charming, a pale or dark blue, with purple markings, 

 and a central design in yellow daintily outlined in purple ; the prominent 

 pistil is yellow at the base, and purple above, while its 3-cleft tip is 

 orange. Two or three flowers are closely grouped on a little foot-stem 

 which rises from betwixt two sheath-like leaves set on the summit of 

 the rigidly upright flower-stem. This stem is furnished with thin 

 sword-like margins. 



Though not found in abundance generally, this is not an uncommon 

 plant, and occasionally a meadow may be found which every June 

 morning is turned to a sea of blue, like a flax field for fullness of 

 coloring, and every succeeding afternoon becomes green again, because 

 this little Iris shuts her blue eye by mid-day. But one flower blooms 

 on a plant at a time. 



S66 



