TRIANDRIA DIGYNIA. 179 



Ceolatus, planus, mii vel I lanceolate, flat, 1 or 3 

 bivalvis, uni vel biflorus. J valved, 1 or 2 flowered* 

 Flosculi alterni in rachi f i^/ore^s alternate on a flex- 



flexu 



uous rachis. 



i. BlMIDIATA ? 



R. spica compressa, li- I Spike compressed, li- 

 neari, unMatcriflora ; ca- I near, flowering on one 

 lyce bivalvi, bifloro, flore side ; calyx two valved, 

 exteriore masculo, inte- I two flowered, the exte- 

 riore hermaphrodito. E. rior floret male, the inte- 



Mich, 1. p. 60. 



rior hermaphrodite. 



Ischfemuin secundatum ? Walt. p. 249. 



Hoot perennial. Stems creeping, slightly compressed, branching, 

 glabrous, breaking easily at the joints. Leaves perennial, 4 — 10 inches 

 long, 2 — 3 lines wide, obtuse, very glabrous, compressed, serrulate 

 Bear the summit, frequently opposite ; sheath compressed, smooth, 

 wntracted at the throat ; stipules bearded. Spikes terminal, flat, 

 nowering on one side ; flowers alternate, sitting in depressions in th©^ 

 Margins of the rachis. Valves of the califjc unequal, the exterior much 

 Sorter tlian the corolla, rounded : the interior lanceolate, concave, 

 M long as the corolla. Valves of the corolla lanceolate, acute, the in- 

 terior a little shorter ; both florets similar. J\*ectaries 2, oblong, ob* 



tuae, shorter than the germ. Anthers and stigmas yellowish. Seed 

 •'^•y flat on one side. 



Grows near salt water in every soil. 



Flowers through the whole summer. 



♦Ji f *^^ European botanists who have it in their power to ascertain 

 jn« fact still consider this plant as the R. dimidata of Linnreus, I 

 ■J^'^. j"«t^ined the name adding the note of doubt, and altered tlie 

 •pecibc character to suit our plant ; but it has always appeared to me 

 jnore nearly allied to R, compressa. The fi-ure in La Marck's II- 

 irations, t. 43. f, 1 . b. for R. compressa resembles our plant very 



^ 



ELYJWUS. 



^alyx lateraUs, bival- I Calyx lateral, 2 valvefl, 

 js, aggregatus, multiflo- aggregate, many Aower- 



ed. 



