SO FAM. 24, 25. 



M. Aubletii (Michauxii). Stems tufted, pedicels longer than the leaves. — A 

 species with pedicels shorter than the leaves is M. fluviatilis. — Ponds and around 

 springs. Summer. 



24. Xyridaceae, Yellow-eyed Grass Family. 



Stemless herbs with equitant linear leaves and per- 

 fect flowers collected in a bracted spike; the scape, com- 

 monly twisted or spiral, with a spathe-like sheath at the 

 base; sepals 3, the two lateral persistent, keeled and often 

 winged, the third deciduous; petals 3, yellow (in one species 

 white), fugacious; stamens 3, usually alternating with 

 3 bearded staminodia, hypogynous; style 1 with 3 stigmas; 

 ovary 1-3 celled. In low pine land or swamp. Xyris. 



1. Annual or biennial; leaves shorter than the sheath of the scape, - - -2 



1. Perennial; leaves longer than the sheath, -----__3 



2. Keel of the lateral sepals smooth or nearly so. Spring, - X. brevifolia 



2. Keel of the lateral sepals short-fringed. Spring, X. flabelliformis 



3. Lateral sepals included, -------- - . 4 



3. Lateral sepals more or less exserted, --------6- 



4. Wing of lateral sepals ciliate, narrow. Summer and Fall. - - X. ambigua 



4. Wing or keel of lateral sepals indented, - -.- - - - - 5 



5. Lateral sepals keeled from below the middle or the base to the apex 



Summer and Fall, -------X. neglecta 



5. Lateral sepals keeled from about the middle to the apex; bracts very- 



broad and truncate at the apex. Summer and Fall. - X. platylepis 



6. Plants not bulbous at the base; leaf -bases not much dilated, - - - 7 



6. Plants bulbous at the base, also the leaf-bases greatly dilated, - - - 8 



7. Leaves numerous, narrowly linear. Summer. X. Elliotti 

 7. Leaves few, linear; upper part of scape rough. Summer and Fall. X. fimbriata 



7. Leaves few, linear; upper part of scape smooth. Summer. - X. Smalliana 



8. Corolla yellow, upper part of scape and the spike green. Spring. 



X. arenicola (torta) 

 8. Corolla white, upper part of the scape and the spike more or less glau- 

 cous. Spring. -------X. pallescens 



25. Eriocaulonaceae, Pipewort Family. 



Acaulescent marsh-herbs with the leaves clustered; 

 scapes simple, subtended by sheathing bracts; the monoe- 

 cious white flowers bracted and densely crowded in a term- 

 inal involucrate head; sepals, petals, stamens, styles and 

 cells of ovary 2-3, or the stamens twice as many. 



1. Stamens 2-3, ------ ------2 



1. Stamens 4-6, --___-__ Eriocaulon, Pipewort 



E. compressum (gnaphalodes). Leaves shorter than the sheath at the base; 

 scapes 2-10 dm., 10-12 ridged; heads over 10 mm. Marshland. Spring 

 and Summer. 



