274 North Amerkan CyperacetP. 



about S-flovvered ; rachis laterally compressed, straight, winged; 

 scales cuspidate, squarrose at the tip, strongly nerved; stamen 

 1 ; nut obovate, triquetrous. 



C. inflexus, MuliL! gram. p. 16 ; Torr. ! ji. 1. p. 59 ; Bigcl. fl. Bosi. 

 ed. 2. p. IS; Beck ! Bot. p. 421 ; Gray! Gram. &f Cyp. part 1. no. 68 ; 

 Dariingi. fl. Cest. ed. 2. p. 16; Link, jahrb. 3. p. 88. (fide Schult.) 



C. uncinatus, Pursh,fl. 1. p. 50, (not o[ Poiret.) 



C. Purshii, Rcein. Sf Schult, syst. 2. p. 177. 



C. pygmffius, Nutt. in Amer. Phil. Trans. N. Ser. 5. p. 142, (not of 

 Cavan. or Rottb.) 



Root fibrous, biennial ? Culms cespitose, 2 — 3 inches high, leafy at 

 the base, Leaves linear, flat, equalling the culm. Umbel often sessile, 

 the inflorescence then consisting of aggregated heads of spikelets ; but 

 more commonly there are 2 or 3 short rays. Involucre many times longer 

 than the umbel. Spikelets in heads of 8 — 16 or more. Scales oblong, 

 gradually attenuated into a remarkably squarrose or recurved point, of a 

 greenish colour, not scarious on the margin. Stamen always solitary. 

 Style 3-parted. Nut gray, triangular, with the sides a little convex. 



Hab. Banks of rivers from latitude 52° N. to North Ca- 

 rolina. Lake Winnipeg, Dr. Richardson ! ; Lower Canada, 

 Mr. Benedict !; banks of the Otter Creek, Vermont, Dr. James; 

 on the Connecticut river, in many places, Frof. Hitchcock 

 and Dr. Cooky' ! ; near Albany, Mr. Tracy and Mr. H. H. 

 Eaton! ; Cambridge, New York, Dr. Stevenson! on Lake 

 Champlain, Pursh; Pennsylvania, Miihlenbcrg ! ; Salem, North 

 Carolina, Schucinitz ; Lincolnton, in the same state, Mr. 

 Curtis ! ; Kentucky, Dr. Short !; Arkansas, Dr. Pitcher and 

 Mr. Nuttall ! ; upper part of the Platte, Dr. James ! 



Obs. This species has a wider range than almost any other 

 of the genus in North America. When dried, it exhales a 

 powerful odour, scarcely to be distinguished frorn that of 

 Trifolium coeruleum. It is nearly related to C. aristatus, Rotth. 

 and several other species with subaristate squarrose scales, but 

 it differs from all the Cyperi of this section in my herbarium, 

 in its much more cespitose habit, fewer-flowered spikelets, at- 

 tenuated scales and straight laterally compressed rachis. 



