TBIANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 39 



Jj'rance and England, is confined to the United States» and 

 principally to the marshes of the sea-coast. 



€0. NARDUS. L. (Mat-grass.) 



Calix l-flowered, 1-valved. Coroiia l-valved, 

 included within the calix. Stigma 1. (Flowers 

 spiked, alternate, and sessile.) 



Species. 1. M stricta. (On open hills near the banks 

 of the Missouri.) This genus, with the exception of the 

 ..V. ciliaris, of India, is confined to Europe. 



^1. MIEGIA. Persoo/i. Aru xd in ari a. JUic/iaiiX. 



(Cane.) 



Flowers polygamous, paniculate. — Calix 2- 

 valved, nriany flowered, short and unequal. Co- 

 rolla 2-valve*d, unequal, the larger valve acumi- 

 nate. Style very short, trifid, and plumose. Pe- 

 risporium (nectary) 3-parted, lacinije lanceolate 

 acute, as long as the germ; present in both the fer- 

 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 Bambos, as particularly described by Jussieii 

 under the name o^ JK'astusy from w^hich it principally dif- 

 fers in having 3 instead of 6 stamina, and a bifid in place 

 ,of a trifid style; their separation is thns merely^artificial. 

 The J\^astiis has also a 2 to 4-parted perisporiurn, and 

 spikelets with flosculi which are alternately abortive. 



Species. 1. M. macrosperma. Culm 3 to 15 feet high. 

 2. gigantea? Perhaps only a variety of the former. Culm 

 SO to 35 and sometimes 40 feet high. This species is sup- 

 posed to flower but once in 20 or 25 years: the A. macros- 

 perma, flowers much oftener. — The Ji. gigantea gi-ows in 

 most abundance on the alluvions of the Mississippi, where 

 it presents the most impenetrable brakes. The external 

 varnished epidermis of the cane is found to be a siliceous 

 deposition. 



6.2. ORYZOPSIS. Michaux. 



Calix l-flowered, 2-valvcd, valves loose, obo- 

 val about the length of the corolla, awnless. Co- 



