128 Order 153.— XYBIDAeEiE. 



3. MAYAXA Aublet. Flowers regular ; sepals 3, green, lanceolate ; 

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

 ovary 1-celled, style filiform, stigma simple ; capsule 3-valved, seeds 

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

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

 Pad. axillary, solitary, l-flowered." 

 M. MichaiiKii Schott. & Endl. Fed. longer than the Ivs., reflexed in fruit ; caps. 



9 to 12-seeded; petals white. — In shallow waters, Ta. to Ga. (Feay, Pond) and 



Ha. (Meltaiier). Sts. several inches long, somewhat resembling Sphagnum. Lvs. 



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



Seeds globular, white. JL (Syena fluviatilis Ph.) 



Order CLIII. XYRIDACE^. Xyrids. 

 Serbs sedge-like, with equitant leaves and a scape bearing a head ol flowers. Pe- 

 rianth 6-parted, in 2 series, sqials 3, glumaoeous, petals 3, unguiculate. Stamens 3, 

 with extrorse anthers, and inserted on the claw of the petals. Capsule 3-valved, 

 1-celled, with parietal placentas, or 3-celled. Seed^ numerous, albuminous, ortho- 

 tropous, embryo at the apex. 



Gem-era 5, specian 70, natives of tropical Asia, Africa and America, a few species of Xyrfs 

 extending into the United States. Of no important use. 



XY^RIS, L. Yellow-eted 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- 

 cellcd, with parietal placentcB. — Lvs. linear, rigid, radical, sheathing the 

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

 bracts (scales) ; petals yellow. 



* Leaves very short (S to SO'O- Sepals frlnffcless, tuftless. Small .and delicate. South No. i 



* Leaves elongated oiie-thiid to tllrt-e-fourtlis tlio length of the scape, ^aj 



a Sepals with a wingless, fringeless keel, rarely crested. Plant bulbous at base No. 2 



a Sepals with a winged, fringed keel and crested apex, — short as tlie scale Nos. 3, 4 



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



1 X. brevifolia Mx. (nee BU.) Lvs. linear, subulate, falcate, acute, distych- 

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

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

 merely scabrous. — Springy places?. Oar. to Pla. Our smallest species. Scape 4 to 

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

 corn. Apr., May. 



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

 the angular, sulcate 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. Eng. to .Ga., "W. to 

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



imbricate, concave. Jn. — Sept. (X. Jupicai Ms. X. ludica Ph. X. torta Sm.) 

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

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



3 X. Carolini^na "Walt. Jjos. rigid, narrowly linear, a third or more shorter 

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

 sep. narrow, scarcely longer than the oval scales, conspicuously fringed on the 

 keel above the middle and crested at tlm obtuse apex. — Sandy swamps, N. T. to 

 Pla. 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 1" long. Petals rather large. Jl., Aug. (X. flex- 

 uosa Ell. neo MuhL) 



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

 scapes; scapes (often cUsiered) distinctly 2redged, tall; head elliptic-ovoid, Uurge, 



