Obdbe 143.— IEIDACB^. 699 



angled.— Pine barrens, Mid. Ga. and S. Car. (Bacliman). St. and Iva. 3 to 5', 

 higli. Fls. blue,' the sepals in the middle yellow. Feb., Mar. 



8 I. Ucnstris Nutt. Northeen Lake Ieis. Lvs. ensiforna; longer than the 

 low, compressed, 1-flowered scape ; seg. of the perianth nearly equal, obtuse, 

 emarginate, ilie sepals scarcely cnsUd, as long as the slender tube ; caps, turbinate, 

 3-sided, margined. — Islands of Lake Huron, near Mackinaw, Nuttall. Roots ex- 

 tensively creeping. Leaves 2—5' by 3 — 4", those of the scape bract-like. Scape 

 1 to 2' high. Fls. pale blue, the sepals rather broader. Jn. 



9 I. vefn^ta L. Vernal Iris. Lvs. linear-ensiform, rigid, rattier longer than the 

 low, 1-flowered scapo ; tube of the perianth filiform (2' lotig), about equaling the 



' - length of the segm. ; sep. and petals nearly equal, oblong-obovate, obtuse, neither 

 crested nor bearded, stig. deeply bifid. — Hilly woods of the interior S. States. St. 

 or scape 3 to 5' high, sheathed with colored bracts. Fls. pale blue, the sepals 

 with an oblong, or orange yellow, spotted stripe. Mar., Apr. 



10 I. piimila L. Dwarp Iris. Scape very short (3 to 6'), 1-flowerod; spathe 

 shorter than the tube ; sep. reflexed, narrower than the erect petals. — A. small 

 species from Hungary, cultivated in the edgings of walks. Lvs. numerous, 

 broad ensiform, suberoet. Fls. large, deep purple, appearing in early spring, -j- 



2. NEMAS'TYLIS, Nutt. (Gr. vfnia, thread, ctvXo^, style.) Spathe 

 2-leaved ; perianth segments distinet down to the top of the ovaiy, the 

 sepals spreading, larger than the ascending, concave petals ; stamens 3, 

 filaments shorter than the anthei-s ; style slender, enlarged and 3-eleft 

 above ; capsule oblong-cylindric. — Stem very slender, with linear-ensi- 

 forin lvs. from a bulb. Spathe 2-flowered. 



N. gemmiflora Nutt. Swamps along river.s, La. (Hale.) A pretty flower 15 to 

 20' high, lvs. same length, 3 to 5" wide, tapering at each end. • Fls. on pedicels 

 shorter than the spathe, the, sepals 1' long, obovate-spatulate, bluish-purple, the 

 azure petals about half as large. 



3. TIGRID'IA, L. Tiger-flower. (Lat. tiyridis, of the tiger ; sc. 

 in colors.) Spathe 2-leaved ; perianth regular, the 3 sepals larger than 

 the 3 petals ; stam. monadelphous, fil. united into a long tube. — ^Bulbous. 



T. pavonia L. St. simple, flexuous; lvs. ensiform, veined; segm. flat; 

 petals panduriform. — A superb plant of tho gardens. St. 2f high, erect, terete, 

 leafy, branching. Lvs. erect, a foot long. Flowers inodorous, 5 to G' broad, yel- 

 low, variegated with scarlet, crimson and purple. It is very evanescent, lasts but 

 a few hours, but a new one appears daily for several weeks, f Mexico. 



4. SISYRINCHIUM, L. , BLtrE-EYED Grass. (Gr. ovg, a hog, and 

 pvyXoq, a snout ; alluding to the singular spathe.) Spathe 2-loaved ; 

 seo-ments of the perianth flat, equal ; stamens monadelphous ; stigma 

 3.c]eft. — % Grass-like plants, with compressed, winged or ancipital 

 scapes, from fibrous roots. 



1 S. Bermudianuiii L. Scape simple, winged; valves of tho spatho unequal, 

 the longer scarcely equaling the flowers ; petals mucronate. — A delicate little plant, 

 with blue fioweis, common in low grass lands, Can. and XT. S. St. or scape 10 to 

 12' hi"-h, so winged as to resemble the leaves, smooth and mostly simple. Lvs. 

 linear about as long as the scape, sheathing at base. Spathe 2 to 5-flowered, the 

 lono-er valve acuminate. Fls. purple or blue, on filiform pedicels. Sepals a little 

 broader than the petals, spreading. Cap. globous. Jn., Jl. (S. anoeps. Cav.) 



/3. ALBA. Flowers whitte. — Wet prairies, &a 



2 S. mucronatum Mx." Scape simple, filiform, barely 2-edged ; spathe col- 

 ored outer valve longer than the fls., ending in a long, mucronate point. — Mid. States, 

 W. to Iowa common in wet prairies, where the grass is not luxuriant. Lvs. rad- 

 ical a lino 'wide. Scape 6 to 10' high, narrowly winged, setaoeously slender. 

 Spathe 3 to 4-flowerod, tinged with purple. Fls. smaller than in tho preceding, 

 of a fine bluo color. Jn. — Appears very distino*from the other. 



