Sisyrinchinm.] CXXX. IRIDACE^. 1603 



1. S. micranthum (flowers small), Cai-. Diss. vi. 345, t. 191 ; Benth. Fl. 

 Aiistr. 412. A slender annual, usually only 2 or 3in. high but at times attaining 

 12in., the branches flattened and 2-angled but not winged. Flower-clusters on 

 peduncles longer than the subtending leaves or bracts, one or two at the end of 

 the stem and often one or two from lower axils. Outer bracts of the cluster 

 ■f to lin. long. Pedicels 6 lines long, very slender. Perianth-segments pale 

 yellow, purple at the base and along the centre to the point ; more or less hairy 

 on the outside, about 1| lines long. Staminal tube about half that length, free 

 portion of filament purple. Capsule globose, 1^ to 2 lines in diameter. Weeds 

 numerous.— Bot. Mag. t. 2116. 



Hab.: Whether indigenous or not, doubtful, it is widely spread and very abundant and has 

 been so for the past forty years. 



By some stock-holders it has been considered poisonous to stock, but from experiment, 

 carried out by Mr. K. B. Howard, its only ill-effect upon animals is to cause violent scouring. 



8. PATERSONIA, E. Br. 



(After Col. Wm. Paterson.) 

 (Genosiris, Lahill.) 

 Perianth regular, with a filiform tube and 3 outer broad spreading segments, 

 the 3 inner ones very small and erect or almost obsolete. Filaments united to 

 the middle or almost to the top into a tube ; anthers oblong or lanceolate, the 

 cells usually separated by a narrow meinbranous connective. Style filiform, 

 longer than the anthers, usually constricted or articulate either near the base of 

 the anthers or near the top, and often bent down or breaking off at the 

 constriction, the 3 stigmatic lobes obovate-orbicular or broadly oblong, contracted 

 and united in a cup or narrow and free at the base, reflexed on the style in the 

 bud, spreading horizontally when in flower. Capsule sessile within the bracts, 

 linear or oblong, 3-angled,. opening loculicidally in 3 valves. Herbs with a 

 perennial short rhizome. Leaves in radical distichous tufts or rarely on shortly 

 elongated stems, long and grass-like or rigid. Scapes or peduncles long erect 

 and leafless, bearing a single oblong or lanceolate terminal spike, with two outer 

 bracts enclosing 2 sessile spikelets, each with 1, 2 or several flowers and as many 

 membranous more or less scarious bracts, each bract of the spikelets opposed to a 

 flower on the same node. Perianths blue or very rarely yellow or white. 



The genus is limited to extra-tropieal Australia, or scarcely crosses the tropics on the East 

 coast. 



Quite glabrous. Outer bracts of the spike prominently striate. Perianth 



tube exserted. Staminal-tabe, short, trifid 1. P. [ilaiica. 



Leaves woolly or hairy at the base. Scape woolly. Outer bracts dark and 



strongly striate, covered with deciduous wool. Staminal tube trifid, short. 



Leaves dbout 2 lines broad or more. Leaves woolly on the edges only. 



Wool of the spike close and silky 2. P. scricca. 



Leaves glabrous or hairy at the base. Outer bracts green, glaucous or pale, 

 strongly striate, glabrous or slightly silky hairy. Staminal-tube long and 

 undivided. 

 Outer bracts about 2in. long, silky-hoary. Stem elongated. Leaves glabrous 

 or hairy on the edges, 2 lines broad or less 3. P. gluhrata. 



1. P. glauca (glaucous), R. Br. Prod. 804; Benth. Fl. Austr. vi. 402. 

 Stems exceedingly short, clustered on the rhizome, with a few outer rigid 

 sheathing scales, gradually passing into erect rigid leaves, the longest from 

 ^ to l|^ft. long and 1^ to nearly 2 lines broad, somewhat flattened, margins not 

 thickened. Scapes usually much shorter than the leaves, but occasionally 

 exceeding them, with 1 or 2 sheathing scales at their base. Spike with the two 

 outer bracts 1^ to Ifin. long, acute, rigid, somewhat glaucous, finely but 

 prominently striate, each spikelet containing 3 or 4 flowers, the bracts membranous 

 and quite glabrous, as well as the flowers. Perianth-tube usually exceeding the 



