North American Cyperacece. 265 



Rhizoma creeping extensively ; the branches often terminating in tubers 

 about the size of a large pea. Culm 12 — ]8 inches high, acutely trian- 

 gular. Leaves a little recurved, 2 — 3 lines broad, strongly carinate, 

 smooth, yellowish. Umbel rather erect ; the rays 2 — 4 inches long, 

 without involucels. Involucre mostly 3-leaved. Spikelets three-fourths 

 of an inch long, linear, somewhat obtuse when mature, for the most part 

 •distichously arranged on the common rachis, the lowest ones frequently 

 geminate or fasciculate. Scales yellowish, nerved, at length distinct at 

 the point. Interior scales lanceolate, adnate, hyaline. Stamens 3. Style 

 sometimes unequally 3-cleft. Nut actite. 



Hab. Wet sandy places, particularly on the banks of rivers, 

 and on the sea shore ; western part of New York to New Orleans. 

 Common on the sea coast of TiOng island and New Jersey, and 

 on the Hudson as far north as Newburgh ! ; near Oneida Lake, 

 New York ; Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia, 

 Muhlenhurg ! ; S. Carolina, Elliott and M?-. Forhes ! ; New 

 Orleans, Dr. Ingalls ! ; Delaware and East Florida, Dr. 

 Baldwin ! 



Obs. The tubers or thickened extremities of the subter- 

 ranean stems are edible, but are inferior in size to those of the 

 C. tuherosus of Vahl, with which Pursh confounded our plant. 

 Dr. Baldwin, in his notes, states that this species is the " Nut- 

 grass" of East Florida, where it covers cultivated fields, and is 

 much more common than C. Hydra. He remarks that he found 

 the same plant on the banks of the river Plata, near Buenos 

 Ayres. 



Muhlenberg's Cyperus, No. 9, is a mere variety of C 

 repens. 



18. Cyferus Hydra, Michaux. 



Rhizoma creeping, tuberiferous ; umbel simple, 3 — 4- 

 rayed ; involucre a little longer than the ray; spike, distichous; 

 spikelets 4 — 5 on each ray, lanceolate-linear, acute, much com- 

 pressed, 14 — 20-flovvered ; scales ovate, approximated, some- 

 what spreading, rather acute, appressed, nerveless, not scarious 

 on the margin ; nut triquetrous. 



