462 TRANS. OF THE ACAD. OF SCIENCE. 
pletely covered with the pale green capillary leaves of this 
species, 1-2 feet long. As the water recedes with the ad- 
vancing dry season, the erect flowering stems begin to farm, 
and a little later the vestiges of the decayed vernal leaves 
cover the remaining mud with grayish spiderweb-like fila- 
ments. The flowers are nearly 2 lines long, the Gmmature) 
capsule is prismatic with concave sides; the seeds, too imper- 
fect to make out their sculpture, were 0.27-0.30 line long, 
large for the size of the plant. 
This species is closely allied to J. supinus of Europe, whence 
the name, and appears to stand next to its var. fluitans; but 
that species has smaller flowers, with obtuse sepals, an obtuse 
capsule, and smaller seeds. These characters, however, do 
not seem to be quite constant, so that further examination of 
more complete specimens will be necessary. 
38. J. Exriorri, Chapman Flor. South. St. 494: caulibus 
(1-2-pedalibus) exspitosis erectis folia tenuia longe excedenti- 
bus; panicula composita ve] decomposita subpatente; capitulis 
3-9-floris globulosis; sepalis ovato-lanceolatis acutissimis equa- 
libus stamina 8 tertia parte superantibus capsulam late ovatam 
obtusam brevissime mucronulatam 1-locularem atrofuscam 
lucidam fere squantibus; antheris linearibus filamento vix 
longioribus; ovario ovato obtuso stigmatibus subsessilibus 
subinclusis fere equilongo; seminibus oblanceolatis fusiformi- 
bus utrinque attenuatis rufo-fuscis areis levibus reticulatis. 
From North Carolina, Candy, to South Carolina, Ravenel, 
Beyrich (distributed under the name J. acuminatus), Florida, 
Chapman, Hb. norm. 54, Alabama, Suwliivant, and southern 
Mississippi, 4. Hilgard.—Many slender stems spring from a 
short rhizoma, which bears numerous long fibrous rootlets 
(under water?) ; panicle usually 3-4 inches long, with a few 
principal branches; fruit-heads (from the broad, blunt capsules) 
obtuse, 2 or 23 lines in diameter; flowers 1.0-1.2 lines long, 
greenish, turning brown; capsule usually very dark colored 
and shining, rarely paler; seeds easily distinguished by their 
dark color and slender form, mostly 0.23-0.27 line long and 
one-third as much in diameter; 5 or 6 ribs quite conspicuous. 
This is one of our earliest species, flowering in April and May. 
The slender growth, the small, obtuse, dark colored heads and 
dark seeds distinguish this plant at once, but whether Elliott’s 
J. acuminatus is the same as this, as Chapman suggests, or 
whether it belongs to one of the forms of the next species, 
does not appear from his insufficient description. 
39. J. acumMINATUS, Michx. 1, 192, non Gray, Man. nec auct. 
Amer. plur.: caulibus czespitosis plerumque erectis; panicula 
effusa plus minus composita; capitulis pauci- vel multifloris 
pallidis seape demum stramineo-fuscatis; sepalis lanceolato- 
