290 North American Cyperacea. 



1. p. 150; Lestib. ess.fam. Cyp. p. 44. no. 59; N. ah Esenh, 

 in Wight's contrib. pp. 70 & 93, ^ in Linncea, 9. p. 288 ; 

 Michx.jl. 1. p. 37 ; Nutt. gen. 1. p. 37. 



Vaginaria, Rich, in Pers. syn. 1. p. 70; Nutt. gen. 1. p. 37, 



1. FUIRENA SQUARROSA, Mtchx. 



Culm obtusely 3-angled, sulcate; leaves ciliate; sheaths 

 hairy; spikes clustered (3 — 6 — 12,), ovate; awn as long as 

 the scale ; petals cordate or ovate, 



a. Nut twice the length of its stipe; bristles shorter than 

 the claws of the petals, nearly smooth. 



F. squarrosa, Michx.jl. p. 37; Vahl, enum. 2. p, 286; Pursh,fl. 1. p, 

 58 ; Elliott, sk. 1. p. 53. t. 2. f. 1 ; Muhl. ! gram. p. 50, (in part) ; Torr. ; 

 fl.l. p. 67; Clayt.fl. Virg. 173; Curt.! cat.pl. Wilmingt. no. 5G: 

 Rc£m. Sf' Schult. syst. 2. p. 234; Spreng. syst. 1. p. 236. 



Culm 1 — 2 feet high, leafy. Leaves 6 inches long, 2 — 4 lines broad, 

 flat, pubescent on both sides and distinctly ciliate on the margin ; upper 

 ones smoothish; sheathes sulcate, Ligula membranaceous, brown, 

 ciliate. Umbels simple or compound, one or two, supported on pedun- 

 cles which grow from the upper sheaths ; the terminal one 2 — 3-rayed, 

 and composed of 6 — 20 spikes, subtended by an involucre of 2 or 3 very 

 short narrow leaves. Spikes half an inch in length, ovate -oblong, 

 closely aggregated into heads at the summit of the short rays. Scales 

 ovate, hairy, obtuse or emarginate, marked with three strong approxi- 

 mated ribs, which uniting towards the summit, form the (upwardly 

 scabrous) awn. Bristles of the perianth, (calyx), shorter than the claw 

 of the petals, flat, incurved, nearly smooth. Petals with claws longer 

 than the lamina, mucronate, but not awned ; lamina of a spongy texture 

 throughout, the breadth nearly equal to the length. Style deeply 3-cleft; 

 the segments glandularly pubescent. Nut very acutely and equally 

 triangular, with flat sides, distinctly pedicellate. 



Hab. Swamps ; North Carolina to Florida. Wilmington, 

 N. C, Mr. Curtis!; South Carolina, Elliott; Georgia, Le 

 Conte and Dr. Baldwin! ; Alabama, Dr. Gates!; New Or- 

 leans, T. Drnmmond! 



