80 TRIANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 



branaceons margin on one side, and a lateral tooth on the 

 other, lateral nerves set with 2 rows of g-lobular resinous 

 glands, the central one, a little pubescent, (seen through 

 a lens) sending- out from above the middle, a struii^-ht, 

 hoiizontal awn, tiiberculate at its base! rigid, and inclined 

 inwaisls; inner valve acute, l-nerved, awnless, about one 

 fourth the lengtii of the outer valve. Hosculi deciduous, 

 various, 4 or 5, valves lanceolate, membranaceous, cari- 

 nate, 3 or 4 neutral, only 1 hermaphrodite, flowers all bi- 

 valved; fertile and h^west neutral sessile flower villous on 

 the margin about mid-way, the lowest florets also villous 

 at the b;se; the perfect flower sheathed by an auxiliary 

 valve simdar to that of the corolla; sessile dorsal valves 

 ail awned below the summit, that of the lowest neutral 

 floret the len,tih of the valve; awns straight: terminal neu- 

 tral florets pedicellate, smooth, uppermost very small and 

 entirely awnless. Stamens 3. "Styles 2, shorter than the 

 corolla. StigTT>as plumose, purple. Nectaries 2, obovate, 

 shorter than the germ." Kli-iott. Seed arillate, trun- 

 cate at the apex, oblong, subtriquetrous, smooth, corcu- 

 lum merely attached to the separated farinaceous peris- 

 perm. — (Seen persisient in winter, and in a dried state with 

 Dr. Baldwin, of Savannah.) 



Although I have not been able, with Mr. Elliott, to ob- 

 serve a 3-valved calix in this singular grass, there still 

 appears to be sufficient reason to separate it from any ge- 

 nus which can include the Chloris petrceOf and C macro- 

 nata. The form and character of the calix, the singular 

 abortion of the flosculi, in which one side of the spikelet 

 is neutral, the m< mbranaceous consistence of all the 

 valves, a large sessUe accessory valve or single glumed 

 rudiment applied to the dorsal valve of the only herma- 

 phrodite flower, and the awns all arising from beneath 

 the summit of ihe valves, are circumstances combined 

 which perhaps no other known genus possesses. 



It exists only, with many other North American plants, 

 in the primitive maritime soil, and in depressed situations. 

 Its glundulous aroma is so powerful as to create pun- 

 gency on being masticated. 



112. MANISURIS. X. 



Flowers polygamous, spiked. — Hermaphrodite 

 calix 1-flowered, 2-valved, valves unequal, ex- 

 terior coriaceous, roundish, the base emargiuate 

 on either side, CovoUa 2-valved, smaller, in- 



