290 TEiANDRiA DiGTNU. Paniciim. 



Grows about t'le borders of lakes. 



Culms luimerous, ramoits, erect, as thick as a crow quill, from 

 two to three feet high, smooth. — Leaves numerous, very long, slen- 

 der, and smooth. — Racemes, or spikes culumiiar; lower part some- 

 what lamous; brauclilets adpressed. — Flozcers numerous, co\eniig 

 most complelely every p^rt of the racemes, ptdrctiitd, oval. — Calj/x, 

 two iniier glumes striated. — Co-iol no neuter, only one hermaphro- 

 dite. — Seed smooth, shining, white. 



ObS' Thij may be only a variety of P. intcrruptiim. 



9. P. dimidiafnm. Linn. ^;). PL ed. Wilhl i. 339- 



Spikes secuiid, jointed ; joints excavated, daggered on alternate 

 sides of the apex, from one to tive-fiowered. Cahjx two-flowered, 

 one hermaphrodite, the other male. 



A native of the Peninsula of India, scarce. 



Culms sliort, oblique, smooth ; whole height from six to twelve 

 inches. — J^eaves slender, smootii, obtuse, rather broad toward the 

 ai)e\.— Spikes solitary, secund, jointed, smooth, from three to five 

 inches long. Joints of the rachis from eight to twelve rigid, ex- 

 cavated for the reception of the flowers, except the lower one or 

 two, which are longer ; in all except these a long sharp point or 

 dagger proceeds from the apex, on the alternate sides of the articu- 

 lation. — Flowers lodged in the concave joints of the rachis, on very 

 unequal pedicels, the lowermost having each three or more, while 

 those about the middle of the spikes have uniformly two, and the last 

 two or three only one.— Cali/X two-flowered, two-valved ; flowers 

 Loth sessile, one hermn[)ljrodite, the other male ; valves unequal, the 

 exterior one smaller ; the inner one about as long as the valve of the 

 corol, or it may be described with three valves as in the genus ; but 

 then the male flower will have but one glume. — Carols two-valved ; 

 valves nearly equal, those of the male flower much firmer, the sides 

 of the exterior one (wi;ich may be called the inner valve of the calyx, 

 if il be allowed, to have three), with the sides bent iu at right angles. 

 — Stamina three Germ in the hermaphrodite flower oblong. St^le 



