227 



become adnate to the mature grain and wholly undistinguishable. 

 The outer layer of irregular, thin cells covering the grain, seen in 

 transverse sections, may belong to these organs. 



In all the characters excepting those here noted, and which 

 we have tried to account for, our plant accords with Joiivea stra- 

 minea, Fourn. The type specimens were collected on the sandy 

 shores of the Pacific, within the same region as those gathered by 

 Dr. Palmer, and although it is possible that two genera possess- 

 ing such unusual characters might exist in that region, growing 

 under like conditions, and have escaped the notice of botanists 

 until now, it certainly docs not seem probable, and considering 

 that our plant agrees in so many and striking particulars with the 

 published description of Joiivca, I think we ought to try to ex- 

 plain or harmonize any apparent differences rather than attempt 

 to establish a new genus. Certainly it would be unwise to do 

 > this before we are assured of a valid distinction by a comparison 



with Fournier's types. 



The characters of the genus Jouvea, based upon our speci- 



mens, are as follows : 



JouVEA, Fourn. 



Spikelets unisexual, dicecious, very dissimilar, $ much com- 

 pressed, many-flowered, spicate on slender terminal or lateral 

 peduncles, rhachilla continuous.' Empty glumes two, thin, 

 the second one-nerved and larger than the first (in old 

 specimens the empty glumes, particularly the first, are rarely 

 present) ; flowering glumes longer and broader, carinate, acute 

 . herbaceo-chartaceous, three- nerved; palea broad and prominently 

 two-keeled, stamens three. Female spikes one-several in ter- 

 minal fascicles on the culm or its branches, enclosed below by the 

 leaf-sheaths or broad prophylla terete, acute, articulated at base 

 and falling off entire. Spikelets one flowered, embedded in the 

 continuous rhachis, adnate below. Outer glume cartilaginous, 

 abruptly narrowed towards the free apex. Style single, long- 

 exscrted ; stigmas two, plumose. Grain subtercte, free. 



Jouvca straminca, Fourn.? {RacJiidosperimmi Mexicamun, 

 Vasey, Bot. Gaz. xv. no). Culms erect froma creeping rhi- 

 zome, about 30 cm. high, striate, smooth, solid, the internodes 

 flattened or sulcatc upon alternating sides branched, the branches 



