470 TRANS. OF THE ACAD. OF SCIENCE. 
mens I find the inflorescence more spreading, and with some- 
what larger heads, so that thus the transition to the following 
varieties seems to be given. 
Var. ? is 1-3 feet high, and stouter, and bears its larger 
heads in an almost umbel-shaped, more compact panicle ; 
heads 5-6 lines in diameter, consisting of 50-90 flowers, each 
of which is 13-2 lines long; seeds 0.22-0.25 line long, slender, 
their lengths being equal to 3 diameters, The inflorescence 
is sometimes looser and more compound, making a transition 
to the next. 
Var. y is a very different looking plant, with a compressed, 
tall, often inclined and even decumbent stem, which is said 
to become 4 feet long; leaves laterally compressed, already 
described by Elliott as gladiate, 3-6 lines wide; panicle 
spreading, 8-12 or 15 inches long and about as wide, with 
distant, sometimes one-sided (usually called sesstle) heads, i. e. 
heads from the base of which a long axillary peduncle springs, 
which bears a second head that often behaves in the same 
manner. So far both forms of this variety agree, but in the 
flowers and in the seeds they appear very different, and may 
eventually have to be separated, though our best southern 
botanists do not distinguish them, and seem to agree in the 
view that it is the rich marshy soil of their ricefields, and sim- 
ilar localities, which produces these “overgrown” forms.—The 
fruit-heads of the smaller form have a diameter of 5-6 lines, 
and are composed of 30 or 40 to 70 or 80 flowers; flowers, i. e. 
calyx, 2-23 lines long, sepals about equal in length, and exte- 
rior and interior ones not more different in structure than is 
usually the case; anthers longer than in any other variety of 
our species, and equal to the filament; seeds the longest and 
most slender of all the forms, 0.30-0.33 line long, the length 
equal to 3 or 34 diameters.—The subvariety major has fruit- 
heads of 5-7 lines in diameter, the long pointed capsules radi- 
ating conspicuously in all directions; 20-50 or 60 flowers, 
24-21 lines long, in each head; sepals very unequal in length, 
as well as in texture, the exterior ones triangular dagger- 
shaped, and at maturity indurated; the interior ones much 
shorter, and more or less membranaceous; seeds ovate or 
almost globose-ovate, obtuse, very abruptly or sometimes 
scarcely apiculate, 0.20-0.23 line long, the length being equal 
to 14 or less than 2 diameters. 
42. J. Bonanpert, n. sp.: caulibus (bipedalibus ultra) gra- 
cilibus reetis compressis; foliorum teretiusculorum striato- 
rum vaginis longe biauriculatis; capitulis multi-(30-50)- 
floris singulis seu paucis in glomerulum congestis seu breviter 
pedunculatis; florum (fuscorum) sessilium sepalis lineari- 
lanceolatis subulatis eequilongis stamina 8 quarta parte su- 
perantibus capsulam clavato-turbinatam obtusam mucronatam 
