Xyris ocellata sp. nov. 
Xyris ocellata sp. nov. Plant perennial, scapose; scape slender, 40-50 cm. 
long, «7-.8 mm. broad, bulbous-thickened at base, terete below but with 2 opposite 
ribs which are very narrow and are minutely serrulate, the scape become somewhat 
flattened and 2-edged above, but not at all spirally twisted; leaves basal, two or three, 
mostly unequal in length, enclosing scape below and strongly keeled, dilated at base, 
open on surface opposite keel for 5-10 cm. and then forming a thick, flattened, linear 
blade, the whole leaf being 20 cm. long or less and 2.5 mm, broad or less, acute, 
scabrous-puberulent on the surface' and on the edges minutely serrulate-margined; sheath 
of scape usually about 7 cm. long, much shorter than the leaves, open on one side and 
enclosing scape except for 6-8 mm. at distal end, there opening out and terminating 
in an attenuated point; heads ovoid, mostly 1 cm. long or less and 5 mm. broad, con¬ 
sisting of flowers borne singly in the axils of coriaceous scale-like bracts, which 
are densely imbricated; bracts in 5-6,series, oval to sub-orbiculeir, broadly boat¬ 
shaped, 4-5 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad, broadly rounded at apex, at maturity with 1- 
several notches, frequently 2, at apex, shiny, dark-brown below, paler above, all 
with a prominent and definite green area below the apex, this area broader than long 
and rounded throughout, one-fourth to one-half or more the width of the bfact, usually 
as much as 1 mm. broad; lateral sepals indiuded 4-5 mm. long, .7-.8 mm. broad, boat¬ 
shaped, strongly keeled, minutely scarious margined; sepal-keel ciliolate, not bearded 
at apex; sepal-wing, narrowly scarious-margined, eitire, eciliolate; corrolla yellow, 
petals 3, yellow, obovate, stalked, 3 mm. long, or less, erose at apex, capsule about 
4 mm. long and 1.3 mm. broad, elliptic, plano-convex, slightly curved, rounded at base 
and at apex, surmounted by slender style 2 mm. long or less; stamens 3, filaments 
flattened, about 4 mm. long, alternating with bristle-like staminodia, which are 
shorter than the filaments. 
This species differs from all other species of Xyris occurring in the \ 
United States, in all the bracts having a definite large and prominent green area I 
just below the apex, and hence its specific name. In X. torta J. E. Smith is 
flexuosa Chapm. not hSihl.); such a green area is present in the bracts but is 
small and ill-defined. This species differs also from that species in other respects, 
but especially in that the leaves and scape are not twisted, and that the keel of the 
lateral sepals is not bearded at the apex. It differs from both X. ambigua Beyr. and 
X« stripta. Chapm. additionally in its smaller heads and in the wing of the lateral 
sepals being narrowly scarios-margined and eciliolate. Type specimen. No. 19918, was 
collected Sept. 15, 1936, at about seven miles north of Silsbee, in %rdin County, 
Texas. It is deposited at the Gray Herbarium, 
