354 



marginal flowers usually staminate. Bracts cuneate or obovate, 

 abruptly pointed, fuscous above and white bearded, receptacle 

 smooth, flowers about i y^ lines high, the outer sterile perianth 

 tubular below and its lobes at some distance from the inner, all 

 bearded at the apex. The gland is borne sometimes on the 

 bract and both pairs of segments, and sometimes only on the 

 upper pair. One of the upper pair is generally larger than the 

 other. Fertile flowers scarcely more than half the size of the 

 sterile, the pairs of perianth segments without a tube, and much 

 nearer together than the sterile, all densely bearded. 



Still, shallow water, ponds and streams, Newfoundland to 

 Ontario, New England and Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas. 

 Occurs in Great Britain. July to October. 



2. Eriocaulon compressum, Lam. 

 E.compressiim, Lam. Encyc. Hi. 276 (1789); Kornicke, Linnaea, 



xxvii. 592 (1854). 



E. gnaphalodcs, Mx. Fl. ii. 165 (1803), and American authors 

 generally. 



Leaves coarsely or finely six to twenty fenestrate-nerved, 

 usually shorter than the sheaths, tapering to a long, sharp point, 

 rigid, or when submerged thin and pellucid, scapes 6 to 35 inches 

 high, smooth, more or less compressed when dry, ten to twelve 

 angled. Involucral scales rounded, obtuse, scarious, shining, 

 smooth, imbricated in three or four rows, heads frequently dioe- 

 cious, 3 to 6 lines in diameter. Receptacle smooth. Flowers i y^, 

 to 2 lines high. In other respects like the preceding species. 



In anthesis the styles and stigmas are much exserted, stand- 

 ing above the heads like projecting threads. The sheaths are 

 obliquely fissured, obtuse at the point, veined like the leaves. 



In still, shallow water, ponds and streams. New Jersey to 

 Texas. Cuba. May to October. 



3. Eriocaulon decangulare, L. 



E. decangulare, L. Sp. PI. "^J (1753). 



Caudex short and thick, from one to two inches long. 

 Leaves finely many-nerved, or often apparently nerveless, 

 ensiform, tapering to a blunt point, usually much longer than the 

 sheaths, 6 to 20 inches long and 2 I0 8 lines broad. Scapes 



