361 



2. Lachnocaulon glabrum, Korn. 



L. glabrum, Korn. Linnaea, xxvii. 568, (1854), Chap. Fl. 504, 

 (i860). 



Leaves i^ to ^ inch long, flat, acuminate, blunt and callous 

 at the tips, about as long as the sheaths, smooth or with a few 

 scattered hairs at the margins. Scapes numerous, smooth, 3 to 

 4 inches high, and three to five-angled. Heads very dark and 

 nearly smooth externally, at first globose, becoming cylindrical 

 or slightly conical and 3 lines long, looking, as Chapman ob- 

 serves, not unlike those of Eleocharis ovata. Involucral scales 

 fuscous, lighter in color than the bracts and flowers, ovate, acute, 

 smooth or pubescent. Receptacle villous with clavate hairs. 

 Bracts very dark, pubescent, carinate on the back and cucullate 

 at the apex, enclosing the flowers. Flowers scarcely yi inch 

 high, much smaller than those of No. i. Segments woolly at 

 base, the anterior much like the bract and partially enclosing 

 the others. The peculiar dark, matted, and smoothish appear- 

 ance of the heads in this species is owing to the cucullate bracts 

 and flowers which are closely packed together. 



Roots finely fibrous, not nodose. Ovary three-celled, styles 

 divided into three stigmas. Kornicke makes the stigmas bifid, 

 but in all the specimens that I have examined they are entire. 

 Seeds strongly costate. 



Sandy shores of the Gulf of Mexico, Florida. (Chapman). Oct. 



3. Lachnocaulon Beyrichianum, Sperdeler. 



L. Beyrichiaimm, Sperdeler in Korn Linnaea, xxvii. 567, 

 (1854)- 



Leaves bright green, i to i ^ inch long, tapering to a 

 sharp point, obscurely nerved, often woolly at base, scantily 

 hairy above, somewhat longer than the sheaths. Scapes numer- 

 ous, I to 3 inches high, three to five-striate, sparsely hairy, the 

 hairs like those of No. i. Heads globose or cylindrical and 

 slightly longer than broad, i to i ^ lines long, grayish- villose, 

 the hairs very apparent. Involucral scales oblong, obtuse, hairy 

 or becoming glabrate, fuscous. Bracts spatulate, somewhat 

 larger than the flowers, smooth or grayish pubescent above. 

 Segments of perianth much the same. Flowers scarcely half a 



