82 



FIELD COLUMBIAN MUSEUM BOTANY, VOL. III. 



FUIRENA Rottb. Descf. et Ic. 70, t. 19, f. 3. 



Flowers perfect; glumes numerous, spirally imbricated. Peri- 

 anth of 3 stipitate, awned sepals alternating with 3 barbed bristles. 

 Stamens 3, style 3-cleft. Achene sharply 3-angled, stalked. Spike- 

 lets in clusters or fascicles at the summit of the culm or its branches. 



Fuirena simplex Vahl Enum. 2:384. 



Spikelets many-flowered, in terminal or axillary clusters, sub- 

 tended by a pubescent leaf-like bract, 1-2 cm. long, the cluster 



1.5-2 cm. in di- 

 ameter; spikelets 

 cylindrical ovoid, 

 brownish -green. 

 Glumes pubes- 

 cent, obovate, ob- 

 t u se, bearing a 

 spreading scab- 

 rous awn nearly 

 their own length. 

 Sepals reddish- 

 brown, cordate, 

 spongy thickened 

 toward the sum- 

 mit, emarginate, 

 bearing a barbed 

 awn from the back, 

 exceeding the 

 achene and bris- 

 tles which are slender and retrorsely barbed. Achenes stramineous, 

 shining, stipitate and beaked, the body triangular-ovoid, .9x1 mm.; 

 in section triangular, the angles with rounded margins; the surface 

 faintly marked by horizontally elongated hexagonal reticulations. 



Hab. Sisal, Nov. 9, 1865, Schott 908; "common," Chichan- 

 kanab, Gaumcr 1339. 



RHYNCHOSPORA Vahl Enum. 2:229. 



Inflorescence loosely paniculate. Spikelets 2-4 flowered, lower 

 flowers perfect, upper imperfect. Glumes spirally imbricated. Style 

 2-cleft. Achene biconvex, transversely wrinkled, the base of the style 

 persistent as a tubercle. Bristles in our species wanting. Stamens 3. 



Rhynchospora micrantha Vahl 



Enum. 2:231. 



Inflorescence a slender, elongated 

 panicle of 3-several lax corymbs, over- 

 topped by leaf-like bracts; axis slen- 

 der, glabrous. Corymbs 2-4 cm. in 

 diameter, of 10-30 spikelets; branches 

 capillary, bractlets subulate. Spike- 

 lets in clusters of 1-3, i-fruited, 1.5-2 

 mm. long; lower empty glumes linear lanceolate, fruiting glume ovate, 



