Nonh American Cyperacece. 251 



the keel. Stamens always 3, often remaining attached to the rachis after 

 the fall of the scale. Style deeply 2-cleft. Nut dark-brown, exactly 

 lenticular, finely striate longitudinally, with distinct transverse wrinkles. 



Hab. Low boggy places, particularly near salt water. 

 Massachusetts ! to Florida ! and west to Kentucky ! Not com- 

 mon. August — September. 



Obs. Our plant dixfers in no essential character from the 

 European C. Jlavescens. 



C. pocBformis of Pursh appears to be nothing but C. jlavescens 

 in an immature and imperfect state. His specimens in Lam- 

 bert's Herbarium are scarcely sufficient to determine the spe- 

 cies with c rtainty. 



The synonym of Elliott may possibly belong to the next spe- 

 cies. 



2. Cyferus diandrus, Torrey. 



Umbel of 2 — 5 short rays ; spikelets lanceolate-oblong, 

 much compressed, acute, many-flowered (14 — 24), alternate 

 and subfasciculate on the common rachis ; flowers diandrous ; 

 scales rather obtuse, one-nerved, membranaceous ; nut oblong- 

 obovate, somewhat scabrous, dull ; style much exserted ; culm 

 obtusely triangular. 



C. diandrus. Tort.! cat. pi. N. York, p. 90 ; 4- fl. 1. p. 61, 

 Schult. mant. 2. p. 103 ; Spreng. ! syst. 1. p. 217 ; Beck! hot. p. 421 ; 

 Darlington! fl. Cett. ed. 2. p. 15; Gray! Gram, and Cyp. part 1. 

 no. 70. 



Perennial. Culm slender, 8 — 10 inches high, often bearing leaves 

 half its length, frequently reclining, or decumbent, and generally solitary. 

 Leaves few, bright green. Involucre of three very unequal leaves, two 

 of which are 6 — 7 inches long. Umbel of few rays, which are sometimes 

 so short that the spikelets are nearly sessile ; rays when elongated, very 

 unequal, each bearing towards its extremity 6 — 12 sessile spikelets. 

 Spikelets spreading or reflexed, much compressed, so as to appear thin 

 and flat. Scales ovate, with a broad light-brown margin and a green 

 keel. Stamens sometimes three in the upper florets. Style 2-cleft 

 nearly to the base, the divisions 3 — 4 times the length of the nut, and 

 much exserted, so as to give the spikelets a woolly appearance. Nut 

 gray or light-brown, mucronate, never shining. 



