76 TRIANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 



spikes; spikelets many-flowered, (5 or 6) ovate, or lan- 

 ceolate, somewhal leseinbiing' tiiose of Poa, but more 

 compressed; valves of the calix and corolla similar, and 

 nearly equal, persisient; outer valve of the calix about 9- 

 nerved, seed 3-sided, arillate, gibbons, transversely ru- 

 gose, and .ijrooved on one side. (Character irom E In- 

 dica ) 



Species. 1 E- Tudica. 



The verv few trenume species of this genus are found 

 in India, Barbary, and Noith America. The Cyvomrus 

 dnrus of Europe, is also referred to ihis genus by La- 

 mark. 



lOS. ^OXYDENIA.f 



Spikes paniculate, filiform; spiculi 3 to 4- 

 flowered, alternatiije: on a 1 sided rarnis. — 

 Common calix !2 valved, subulately acuruiMate, 

 lon.i^er than tlie flusculi contained, persistent; 

 valves nninoi'vial. Corolla 2-valved, minute, 

 deciduous, valvv's obtuse, witli or witiiout a ter- 

 minal awn. Seed roundish, naked, smooth, and 

 somewhat gibbous. 



An American genrs of gras-es existing chiefly within 

 the tropics; r.eai-ly altied to Eieii-raie, but producing long 

 fib form spikes, di-posc d in par.icl<"s; leaves, in sonie spe- 

 cies, scattered with glainluhu- hairs; tbecahx and Ilowcrrs 

 of difierent forn.s. ai.d tlie lalter decidous with the seed, 

 which is naked, nearly spherical and smooth. 



Species. 1. O *attemtata. Panicle simple, spikes very 

 long, numerous and attenuated; sumcwliat subdivided 

 near the base; spikelets about o-flowered; flowers includ- 

 ed in the calix; leaves fla^, subulate at the point, and with 

 the siu^atlis sca'tererl with g-landulous hairs. 



Eleiisine mucronuta? Mich. 1. p. 62. Pursh, 1. p 87- 

 El I.IOTT, 1. p. 175. 



Koot annual. Culm erect, round, 2 to 3 fret hi^h. 

 l.eavt s 8 to 12 inches long, 3 to 4 lines wide, slightly 

 hairy, the sheath more conspicuously so towaids tlie 

 nodes; the pubescenc*- exuding a vi>,cous and somewlial 

 acid fluid; p nicle sitnpl , 12 to 18 inches long; s]<ikes 

 nun e ous, (oO or 4u) lilifoim, alternate, 3 to 5 inches 

 lon.^, a lictle subdivid d near the base; calix about 3-flow- 



I From o|y5, acid, and fi6(^jjv, a gland; because the pubes-. 

 cence exudes au acid fluid. 



