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Studies in Sisyrinchium-IV S. Angustifolium and Related Species of The West and
Studies in Sisyrinchium-IV S. Angustifolium and Related Species of The West and
Studies in Sisyrinchium-IV S. Angustifolium and Related Species of The West and
Studies in Sisyrinchium-IV: S. angustifolium and Related Species of the West and Northwest
Author(s): Eugene P. Bicknell
Source: Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, Vol. 26, No. 8 (Aug., 1899), pp. 445-457
Published by: Torrey Botanical Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2478235
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andrelated
Speciesof
S. angustifolium
inSisyrinchium-IV:
Studies
theWestand Northwest
BY EUGENE
P.
BICKNELL
of the farwest
The simple-stemmedblue-floweredSisyrinicchia
and northwestwhich have hithertobeen referredmostly to S.
Miller in realityrepresenta group of distinctspeang-ustf)'oliumz
cies. This appears unmistakablyfroma considerable collection
of specimensbroughttogetherfromvarious sources; but it is furtherevidentfromthis same materialthat,largelyby reason of its
general deficiencyin specimenswithmaturefruit,itformsa wholly
inadequate basis forthe confidentsegregationof the variousforms.
The problem presentedthereforeis the reductionof this inchoate mass into some approach to naturalorderunderconditions
result. In orderto
which make impossiblea finaland satisfactory
take any forwardstep in these circumstancesit is necessaryto proceed in great part on the individualjudgment pending the final
proof which a sufficientseries of specimens can alone afford.
Under the risk of error involved in thus attemptingthe disentanglementof the species, I have aimed ratherto avoid the
creationlof any mere synonymthan to definethe exact natureof
the differencesbetveen the formsrecognized, whether varietal
or fullyspecific. Anlda number of formshave been passed over
entirelyas appearing to have too uncertainclaims to possible
specificrank.
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446
BICKNELL:
STUDIES
IN SISYRINCHIUM
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BICKNELL:
STUDIES
IN SISYRINCHIUM
447
Sisyrinchiumoccidentalesp. nov.
Mostly over 20 cm. high (I5-35 cm.), stiffand erect,glaucescentto pale glaucous green,usuallywitha yellowishtinge,discoloringslightlyin drying; rootsclustered,usuallycoarselyfibrous.
Leaves I-2.5 mm. wide, firmand erect or sometimesthinnish,
stronglyor ratherweakly close-nerved,very acute, the extreme
tip often hardened in age, the basal remains of older leaves freerect,usually
quentlybecomingbleached and silvery: stemsstiffly
the
much longer than the leaves, I-2 mm. wide,wing-margined,
the edges like those of the leaves
wings usually closely few-striate,
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448
BICKNELL:
STUDIES
IN SISYRINCHIUM
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BICKNELL:
STUDIES
IN SISYRINCHIUM
449
withS.
appear somewhatintermediate
Sisyrinchiumsegetumsp. nov.
Duller green and less glaucous than S. occidentale,even
scarcely glaucescent,with narrowerand thinnerleaves and more
numerousand narrowerstems apparentlygrowingclose together
in dense masses rather than tufted: leaves mostlysetaceous and
I mm. wide (.5-I.5 mm.), not very close-nerved except when
young, sometimesroughishtowardthetaperingaculeate oftenbent
apex: stems mostly I mm. or less wide, the narrowwingsthin,
withalmost hyalineedges: spathes mostlypurplishto red-purple,
erect,theouterbractveryslenderly
sometimesnearlygreen,stiffly
attenuatesometimes for fullyhalf its length,taperingacute, I 838 mm. long, subequal with the inner bract or surpassingit by
I2 mm., ore yen more,the inner bract narrower,more slenderly
thanin S. occide;ztale.flowers
attenuateand less hyaline-margined
on veryslenderoften subspreadingpedicels,very large and deep
violet-blue,the perianth I2-I7 mm. long indicatingan extreme
spread of over 3 cm., the segmentsslenderlyaristulate; stamineal
column 5-7 mm. high; capsules broadly oblong, 5-6 mm. high,
brown, transverselycorrugate, many-seeded, seeds irregularly
obovate, i mm. in longer diameter,black, faintlypittedto smooth.
Washington: Seattle, May, 1892, in full flower,Chas. V.
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450
BICKNELL:
STUDIES
IN SISxYIRNCHIUAI
Piper,ex Herb. Younig Naturalist'sSociety,Herb. Columbia University; Yakima region, T. S. Brandegee, I 882, matuLrefruit,
Herb. Mo. Bot. Gard.
Oregon : "Prairies WesterinOregon," iMay, i88o, in full
flower,Thomas J. Howell ; distributedas S. bcll/zi;iWatson in
Howell's " PacificCoast Plants," U. S. Nat. Herb.
Nevada: Washoe Co., alt. 1500 m., July 21, I896, mature
fruit,F. V. Coville and J. B. Leiberg, U. S. Nat. Herb.
to S. occidcniAn attractiveplant evidentlywithclose affinity
talc, though niotactually proved to be distinctby the fewspecimens beforeme I feel littlehesitationin givingit a name. It appears to be less glaucous than S. occidczltal/with narrowermore
numerous and crowded leaves and sterns of thinner texture,
slenderer roots, larger often red-purple spathes and narrower
mostlymoreunequal bracts,the innerone especially more attenuate and acute. The highlycolored spathes give the plant much
of the East.
the aspect offormsof S. niuc-onautimnz
plants
The sheet of specimenscitedfromNevada showsfruiting
strikinglyfromthe otherexamples,yet forthe present
which differ
I can referthemnowhere else than here. They are ver-yslender
with long somewhat flexuous stems and verynarrow deflected
spathes havingthe lower part forabout 5 mm. scarcely or not at
all broaderthan the stem.
SISYRINCHIUMI HALOPHILUm
Greene,Pittonia4: 34.
17
Mr. I 899
Very pale dull green and white glaucous, mostly lov, 10-20
cm. high,stiffand erector nearlyso, the thickenedroots densely
clustered: leaves half the height of the stem or longer, stiff
and thickish,oftenslightlycurved,1-3 mm. wide, stronglyclosestriate,smooth-edged,attenuate,acute, in age developing hardpointedtips : stemfromless thaii I mm. to 2 mm. wide,wiry,ascendingor outcurved,marginedto narrowlywinged,thewingsthick
and firm,
smooth-edged: spatheserect,green,ratherflatand sharpedged, 2-4 mm. wide, the bracts striate,subequal or the outer
one slightly prolonged; outer bract 15-22 mm. long, usually
somewhat convex, acuminate to a short-pointedmostly obtuLse
oftenincurved apex, hyaline-niargined,united clasping for 3-4
mm. at base; innerbract more broadly hyaline,abruptlyacute to
obtuse; interiorscales more than half the lengthof the inner
bract: flowvers
4-8, small to medium-sized,perianthapparently
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BICKNELL:
STUDIES
IN SISYRINCHIUM
451
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452
20,
Sisyrinchiumseptentrionalesp. nov.
Growing in small tufts IO-25 cm. high, pale and glaucous,
discoloring slightlyin drying. Leaves '2-Y4 the height of the
taller stems,equaling the shorterones, stiffand erect,mostlysetaceouslyslenderand . 5-I mm.wide, rarelyI. 5 mm.,finelyclosestriate,attenuateto an acute point: stemsequally slenderwiththe
the edges like those of
leaves, stiffand narrowlyfirm-margined,
the leaves smooth or, when young, minutelydenticulate: spathes
small, purplish or green,oftenpartlydouble, one or more flowers
arisingfrombetweenthe short properspathe and the closely subtending slenderlyprolonged outerbract; innerbract 13-20 mm.
long, mostlyattenuateand acute, the outer one 2.5-4 cm. long,
and united-claspingfor 2-3 mm. at base; both bracts hyalinemargined; interiorscales about 34 the length of the pedicels;
flowersverysmall, apparentlynot more than 3-4 on erectpedicels
usually shorter than the inner bract; perianth 4-7 mm. long,
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453
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454
BICKNELL:
STUDIES
IN SISYRINCHIUM
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BICKNELL:
STUDIES
IN SISYRINCHIUM
455
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456
tapering-acute or
erect, rather thin and openly striate-nerved,
acuminate,narrowedto both base and apex, the edges mostly
roughened,the innermarginsbelow vhite-scarious;stems stout,
simple, rarely bearing a terminal leaf subtending an erect peduncle, 2-3 mm. wide, prominently
winged,the winas with thin
serrulateedges, not broadened into the base of the spathe and
showvinga slight transverse constrictionat the top: spathes
green,erect,or slightlydeflected,4-6 mm. wide, flat,the bracts
foliaceous; primarybract 3.7-8 cm. long, surpassing the inner
bract mostly I-4 cm., only exceptionallytwice its length, very
graduallynarrowedto the acute or obtuse pointedapex, the inner
united forabout 5 mm. at
margins belowvnarrowlywhite-hyaline,
the base; inner bract 2.3-4.8 cm. long, often of nearly equal
breadth throughoutbelow the abruptlysomewhat obtuse apex,
or occasionallynarrowlyprolonged; interiorscales narrow,much
shorterthan the innerbract: flowersfew, I-4, on pedicels mostly
a littleshorterthan the innerbract,large,deep violet-bluewithan
mm. long; anthers relaorange-yelloweye, the perianth I2-I4
tivelysmall; staminealcolumnabout 6 mm. high: capsules large
and thick-walled,dark, obovoid or subglobose, 6-8 mm. high,
on erect or slightlyspreading pedicels I-2 cm. long: seeds globose, I.5 mm. in diameter,black, rugulose-pittedalmost to maturitywhen nearlysmooth,the umbilicus usually appearing as a
mere cleft.
Grassy beaches and shores, coast of Alaska, beginning to
flowerin late Juneand early July,fruitripein August. So faras
known,restrictedto the southern Alaskan coast and the only
species of Sisyric/hiium occurring in that territory. Shores of
Yes Bay, July 3, I895, Thos. Howell, no. I662 ; Back Bay, July
3, I895, M. W. Gorman; shores of Behm canal, Aug. 3, 1894,
M. W. Gorman; Sitcha, Ferd. Bischoff,i865-7, Dr. Tiling, i867.
Although long knownand of late years fairlywell distributed
in collections,this Alaskan plant seems neverto have been looked.
fromthe easternS. angfiistifolizimuntil r-ecently
upon as different
distinguishedby Professor Greene,as a matterof fact since the
above descriptionwas penned. In otherwritings,as on specimen
lijo/luz
labels, the plant has been variouslyreferredto as S. augwoust
var,anlceps Gray
underthe names S. atucepsCav., S. BemliucSdia,la
and S. mzucroaltziizMichx. The species is well distinguishedfrom
S. ailgustifol/iumi
being larger in every way, in fact, notwN-ithstand-
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457
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