240 North American Cyj^eracea:, 



Agardli, in his Aphorisini Botanici, (1S23) gave a good desciip- 

 tion of the characters of the family, together with a list of the 

 genera, and the number of species belonging to each genus.- 

 Lindley, in his Introduction to the Natural System of Botany, 

 (1S30) has given, in a clear but succinct manner, the charac- 

 ters, affinities, geography and properties of the Cyperacese. He 

 states, in a note, that Mr. Prescott of St. Petersburgh has long 

 been making these plants an especial study, but the botanical 

 world has not yet been favored with the results of his labours^ 

 The botanist who has lately directed his attention to the Cype- 

 raceae with the greatest success is Professor Nees ab Esenbeck of 

 Breslau. This accomplished and indefatigable cultivator of 

 our science, pre|)ared about the same time two valualjle me- 

 moirs on the CyperacGEe, one of which, inserted in the ninth 

 volume of the Linncea, (for 1834) is entided Uebersicht der Cy- 

 peraceengattungen : the other under the title of Cyperacese 

 Indicoe, forms a large part of Dr. Wight's "Contributions to the 

 Botany of India," which appealed in the same year. The former, 

 besides a synopsis of all the genera of the order, and a list of 

 the species examined by the author, contains some profound 

 observations on the structure of the floral organs. He consi- 

 ders die hypogynous bristles, hairs, squamulse, and jjetaloid 

 bodies which occur in most of these plants, as metamorphosed 

 stamens, and not divisions of a perianth.* Respecting the po- 

 sition of the embryo he gives no opinion. He announces 

 his intention to publish at some future day a full monograph 

 of this immense family. 



The Cyperaceaj of North America have been studied" 

 with considerable care by many botanists. In the time of 

 Linnaeus very little was known concerning even the European 

 species; and in his last edition of the Species jdantarum (1764) 



* Linnacsa 8, p. 277 et seq. But in bis Cyp. Lid. (p. 93.) he seems to take 

 another view of these organs. ^^Fuirence Vaginaria flos e tribus verticillis constat; 

 seil. \mo, Calyce trisepalo, sepalis setaceis. 2do, Corolla tripetala, pctalis un- 

 guiculatis cum sepalis alternis. ^tio, Staminibus tribus sepalis opposilis angulisquc 

 ovarii respondcutibus. Igitnr, Alv, r;ar])cUis tribus pctalis oppositis planis val- 

 vatim connatis,'' &c. 



