XRIANDRIA. DIGYWIA. 77 



ered, valves linear, subulate, awnless, each with a single 

 nerve, larger than the flosculi; corolla valves, small, ovate, 

 obtuse, smooth, the outer 3-nerved, the inner 2. Stamens 

 and styles very short, purple. 



On the banks of the Missisippi, near New Orleans. 



This is probably the Eleusine mucro7iata of Mr. Elliott; 

 but he remarks tl.at the glumes of the corolla are hairy, 

 and the stipules bearded, neither of which particulars ap- 

 pear to exist in the present plant. As the valves of the ca- 

 lix are not mucronate it cannot but be improper to apply 

 Michaux's name to this species, which may be i^robably 

 distinct. To this genus belongs the Eleusine JUiformis of 

 Persoon, growing in the tropical regions of America, and 

 nearly allied to the present species, having also the same 

 kind of glandular pubescence, and we may probably add 

 the Elevmie virgata of Jamaica. 



109. CHLORIS. S7vartx. 



Flowers polygamous. Spikes di^s^itate, uni- 

 lateral. — Calix 2-valve(l, 2 to 4-flov\<red; valves 

 carinate, with or without an awn; (flowers dis- 

 sinjilar, the abortive florets pedicellate.) 



The habit of this genus is similar to Eleusine, but the 

 fertile flowers, pavticidarly in C. petr<sa are coriaceous, 

 and gibbously carinated, so as to appear transversely seat- 

 ed in the calix; the flowtr glumes when in seed, greatly 

 exceed the calix in length, and are of a dark brown co- 

 lour, the hermaphrodite terminated by a short cusp, tlie 

 reuter or male flower being inflated and obtuse, like the 

 rudiment in Melica; the outer valve of the calix from its 

 emarginaticn, has a cuneate obcordate appearance, with 

 the middle nerve terminated by a short awn; the seed is 

 naked, triquetrous, and smooth. 



Species. 1. C peircea. 2. imicronata. In this species 

 the flowers are also transversely seated in the calix, but 

 Lot distinctly coriaceous; the seed is very unequally 3- 

 sided, scabrous, naked, and compressed. This structure 

 of the seed appears to indicate some affinity to Eleusine 

 Indica, but the habit is widely distinct. 



110. ATHEROPOGON. Muhlenberg, 

 Flowers polygamous, in unilateral spikes. — 



Calix 2-valvcd, 2-flowered, inner valve almost 

 setiform. ffermaphrodite corolla 2-valved, ex- 

 »2 



