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GRIDACEAE 
perianth in 2 whorls. Stamens 3, on the base of the outer whorl. Ovary 
inferior, 3-celled. Fruit a capsule.—About 1000 species of wide distri¬ 
bution in all continents. 
Stem terete; perianth-segments dissimilar.1. Iris. 
Stem flattened; perianth-segments alike...2. Sisyrinchium. 
1. IRIS L. Flag 
Stems terete. Flowers large, in the axils of spathe-like bracts. Perianth- 
tube more or less prolonged beyond the ovary; outer segments obovate, 
spreading or recurved; inner segments narrower, erect. Style divided into 
3 petal-like branches, each branch with 2 lobes or appendages at summit. 
Stigma a small projecting shelf on the outside just below the lobes. Sta¬ 
mens lying close beneath the style-branches. (Greek iris, the rainbow, 
the Greek species of the genus being celebrated for its brilliant colors.) 
Dying leaves grey or yellow-brown : perianth-tube 6 mm. long; capsule 5 cm. long.. 
1. 1. longipetala. 
Dying leaves red-brown. 
Leaves 6 mm. broad or less, not strongly ribbed.2. I. macrosiphon. 
Leaves 8 to 13 mm. broad, strongly ribbed.3. I. douglasiana. 
1. I. longipetala Herbert. Coast Iris. Plants forming something of 
a mat, with erect stems; flowers 3 to 5 in a cluster, pale violet or the 
outer segments white and purple-veined ; pedicels 1.8 to 4.2 cm. long.— 
Open ground, San Francisco to Monterey. 
2. I. macrosiphon Torr. Ground Iris. Stems low, rising from the 
matted base; flowers 1 or 2 in a cluster, violet, very shortly pediceled; 
perianth-tube 3.6 to 4.8 cm. long.—San Mateo Co. and n. near the coast. 
3. I. douglasiana Herbert. Mountain Iris. Stems 3.6 to 5.7 dm. 
high; flowers 2 or 3 in a cluster, cream-color or bluish; pedicels about 
2.4 cm. long; perianth-tube 1.2 to 2.4 cm. long.—Brushy slopes, Coast 
Ranges, especially n. 
2. SISYRINCHIUM L. 
Stems slender, flattened and more or less winged, with grass-like 
leaves. Flowers small, in umbels, subtended by 2 sheathing bracts and 
with a scarious bractlet subtending each pedicel. Perianth-divisions 
alike, spreading. Stamens monadelphous. (Name of Theophrastus for 
a bulbous plant allied to Iris.) 
Flowers blue; filaments united to the top ; style entire, stigmas short. 
. 1. 5". helium. 
Flowers yellow; filaments united only at base ; style deeply cleft... 
2. S. californicum. 
1. S. bellum Wats. Blue-eyed Grass. Nigger-babies. Stems some¬ 
what branching, 2.4 to 5 dm. high; bracts inclosing about 7 flowers; 
perianth-segments oblong-obovate, 4 to 6 nerved, emarginate, with a 
slender tooth in the notch, 14 mm. long.—Open moist ground. 
2. S. calif ornicum (Ker.) Dry. Golden-eyed Grass. Stems un¬ 
branched, 1 to 3 dm. high; flowers 3 to 7 in a cluster.—San Diego to Ore. 
JUNCACEAE. RUSH FAMILY 
Annual or perennial herbs. Stems simple, terete, or compressed and 
2-edged. Leaves alternate, sheathing, narrow, flat or terete. Flowers 
lily-like in structure, sedge-like in aspect, small, dry, perfect, disposed 
