( 1956 ) 
PLEEA TENUIFOLIA. GRaASS-LEAVED PLEEA. 
deta eee ee eee eee 
Class and Order. 
ENNEANDRIA T'RIGYNIA. 
Generic Character. 
Cor. 6-partita, patens. Caps. subrotundo-trigona, 3-locu- 
laris. Sem. numerosa, oblonga, margini valvularum adnata, 
Spica spathis I-floris. Pursa. 
Specific Name and Synonym. 
Pree tenuifolia. 
Pures tenudfolia ; glaberrima: foliis angustissimis ensi- 
formibus sensim acutissimis. Michaux Fl. Bor.-Amer.}. 
p. 248. t. 25. Pursh Fl. Amer.—Sept. 1. p. 278. 
Although referred by Mrcnavx to the class Enneandria, 
the stamens are by no means confined to the number nine, 
but seem to vary from six to twelve. The lacinie of the 
corolla (calyx of Jussieu) are constantly six, perhaps, there- 
fore, the number twelve may be the most natural for the 
stamens, though most generally reduced below that number 
by abortion. : | 
Our drawing was taken from a living specimen, obligingly 
communicated by our friend Aytmer Bourke Lampert, Esq. 
from his garden at Boyton, in May last. We have since 
seen specimens from the same collection, containing five 
blossoms, open at the same time in one spike. The flowers 
are of a white colour within and greenish without : Micnaux 
describes them as being a yellowish brown, but his descrip- 
tion was probably taken from the dried plant. 
Pxrea belongs to the natural order of Juncea, and is said 
_ by Micuavx to have a near affinity with Narruecium ; but 
18, perhaps, still closer allied to ScuEucHzERIA. 
Native of open wet woods in Lower Carolina; and has not, 
we believe, been made to flower here out of the stove. 
