yal about the length of the coro ay . 
ay 
We 
is 
= 
TRIANDRIA, MONOGYNIA. ee 
France and England, is confined to the United States,and = 
principally to the marshes of the sea-coast. 
60. NARDUS. L. (Mategrass.)  - 
Calix 1-flowered, 1-valved. Corolla 1-valved, 
included within the calix. Stigma 1. (Flowers 
spiked, alternate, and sessile.) 
Species. 1. \- stricta. (On open hills near the banks 
of the Missouri.) ‘This genus, with the exception of the 
.M. ciliaris, of India, is confined to Kurope. 
61. MIEGIA, Persoon. ARUNDINARIA. Michaux. 
(Cane.) eee 
Flowers polygamous, paniculate.—Calix 2- 
valved, many-flowered, short and unequal. Co- 
rolla 2-valved, unequal, the larger valve acumi- 
nate. Style very short, trifid, and plumose. Pe- 
risporium (nectary) 3-parted, laciniz lanceolate 
acute, as longasthe germ; presentinboththefer- 
tile and infertile flowers. Seed naked, large, acu- 
minated with the persistent base of the style. 
Culm gigantic, perennial. Flowers. paniculate; spike. 
lets distichous, 7 to 10-flowered.—Very nearly allied to 
the genus Bamébos, as particularly described by Jussieu 
under the name of WVastus, from which it principally dif- 
fers in having S instead of 6 stamina, and a bifid in place 
Of a trifid style; their separation is thus merely-artificiah 
~The WVastus has also a 2 to 4-parted perisporium, and 
spikelets with flosculi which are alternately abortive. 
Species 1. JM. macrosperma. Culm 3 to 15 feet i ao 
2. gigantea? Perhaps only a variety of the former. Culm 
30 to 35 and sometimes 40 feet high. This species is.sup-— 
* posed to flower but once in 20 or 23 years: the 4. macros-_ 
perma, flowers much oftener.—The .4. gigantea grows in | 
“most abundance on the alluvions of the Mississ:ppi, where ~ 
it presents the most impenetrable brakes. The external zo 
varnished epidermis of the cane is found to be a siliceous — 
deposition. ae 
62. ORYZOPSIS. Michaux. a 
Calix 1-flowered, 2-valved, valves loose, 
