TRIANDRIA. MONOGTNIA. §7 



with a very long, dense, and woolly involucrum. 

 Seed sub-ovate witliout angles. 



Culm generally round and leafy; spikes terminal, soli- 

 tary or aggregate. Stamina mostly 3, rarely 2. 



Species. 1. E. cespitosum. 2. polystacJiywn. 3. an^istifo- 

 lium. 4. virgimciim. A genus equally common to the 

 sphagnous morasses of Europe and North America; there 

 is, as yet, but one species, the E. vir^im'cum, peculiar to 

 the United States. From I'ersoon it does not appear that 

 any other portions of the world afford a single species of 

 this curious genus. 



56. VAGINARIA. Fersoon, 



Spike ovate, calyeine scales imbricated on all 

 sides, acutely acuminated. Corolla 0. *S^^^^- 

 maia 3. Involucellum of the seed f<!"mcd of 3 

 chaffy awnless scales alternating with 3 slen- 

 der setse. 



Root creeping. Culm round, simple, without distinct 

 leaves, distantly invested with obliquely truncated ocli- 

 rese or vaginae (sheathes) having small subulate points; 

 spike ovate, terminal, generally solitary, sometimes in 

 threes. In habit this plant appears distinct from tiie ge- 

 nus Ftdrena, to which, however, it is very closely allied. 

 But the scales of the spike are not properly awned, only 

 acutely acuminated; the scales of the perisporium are also 

 said to be furnished with alternating filaments or seta., 

 and destitute of awns. 



Species. 1. F. i?ic/iar</i. (The only species known.— la 

 Florida.) 



57. FUIRENA. L. 



Spikelcts composed of mucronatc scales im- 

 bricated on all sides. Corolla 0. Seminal invo- 

 lucellum broad, cliaff-like, scales cordate, (sti- 

 pitate) often awned. Stigmata 2 and 3. (^Seed 

 triangular.) 



Culm round and leafy, terminating in an umbellate pa- 

 nicle, or aggregation of spikelets. Calicine scales abrupt- 

 ly awned, the awn erect or patulous. Root in/', squarro- 

 sa resembling a concatenation of bulbs. 



Species. 1. F. s^r/mrrosn. (Georgia and Carolina). Of 

 .this genus there are 2 other species in America within the 



