206 MISC. PUBLICATION 423, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 

 1. IRIS. Flag, fleur-de-lis 



Flowering stems from a thick, mostly horizontal, more or less 

 branched rootstock ; leaves long and rather narrow (not more than 1 cm. 

 wide) ; flowers large and showy, violet; perianth segments united below 

 into a tube, the 3 inner ones narrower; stigmas below the tips of the 

 style branches. 



Some of the exotic species have been brought to a high state of per- 

 fection as cultivated ornamentals. Orris-root powder, used exten- 

 sively in toilet preparations, is obtained from certain European species. 

 The leaves and rootstocks of the Arizona species are reputed to be 

 poisonous to livestock. 



1. Iris missouriensis Nutt., Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. Jour. 7: 58. 1834. 

 Apache, Navajo, and Coconino Counties, south to the Chiricahua 

 and Huachuca Mountains (Cochise County), 6,000 to 9,000 feet, in 

 wet meadows, May to September. North Dakota to British Columbia, 

 south to New Mexico, Arizona, and California. 



2. NEMASTYLIS 



Flowering stem from a tunicate bulb, often branched; leaves narrow, 

 grasslike ; flowers solitary or very few in a cluster, rather large; perianth 

 violet, the segments all alike; filaments united below into a tube; 

 capsule oblong or obovoid, dehiscent near the apex. 



1. Nemastylis pringlei S. Wats., Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci. Proc. 

 24: 85. 1889. 



Huachuca Mountains (Goodding 279, Peebles 14072), about 6,000 

 feet, in open grassy pine woods. Southern Arizona and northern 

 Mexico. 



The Arizona plant is referred doubtfully to N. pringlei, as it has a 

 much shorter staminal column than as described by Watson. 



3. SISYRINCHIUM 



Flowering stems from a short rootstock, or apparently from a 

 cluster of fibrous roots; leaves long, narrow, grasslike; flowers in few- 

 flowered terminal umbels; perianth blue, violet, or yellow, the seg- 

 ments all alike or nearly so; capsule globose to oblong, 3-valved. 



Key to the species 



1. Stems branched above, leafy, stout, 30 cm. long or longer; leaves more than 

 .5 mm. wide; perianth orange, the segments 15 mm. long or longer; 

 filaments united about one-third of their length; anthers erect, about 6 mm. 

 long; style 3-branched; capsules oblong, more than 10 mm. long. 



1. S. ARIZONICUM. 



1. Stems unbranched, scapelike; leaves all basal or nearly so, less than 5 mm. 



wide; perianth segments not more than 15 mm. long; capsules broadly 



ellipsoid or subglobose, less than 10 mm. long (2). 



2. Perianth yellow or orange, with brown veins ; filaments united only near the 



base; anthers versatile, 2 to 3 mm. long; style branched... 2. S. longipes. 



2. Perianth blue or violet; filaments united into a tube; anthers erect, less than 



2 mm. long; style not cleft 3. S. demissum. 



