North American Cyperacus. 305 



10. Eleocharis capitata, R. Brown. 



Culm filiform, sulcate, angular; spike globose-ovate ; scales 

 somewhat coriaceous, oblong, obtuse ; bristles a little longer 

 than the nut; style 2-cleft; nut broadly obovate, lenticular, 

 (black) shining; tubercle minute, with a very short abrupt 

 point. 



Eleocharis capitata, R. Broivn, prodr. 1, p. 225; Rcefn. SfSchult. tyst. 

 2, p. 153, (excl. syn. Pursh.) 



Scirpus capitatus, Linn. ; Willd. sp. 1. p. 294, (excl. syn. Gron.), 

 Vahl, enum. 2. p. 250; Kunth, syn. 1. p. 155; Spreng. syst. 1. p. 204. 



S.Caribgeus, Rottb. gram. p. 46. t, 15, f. 3, (fide Vahl.) 



Eleogenus capitatus, N. ah E. in WighVs contrih. p. 112, 8fin Lin- 

 n(ea, 9, p. 294. 



Culms cespitose 4 — 6 inches high. Spike 2 lines long, of a greenish 

 white colour, 12 — 16-flowered. Scales rather loose, several of the lower 

 ones empty. Bristles 6, strong, unequal, retrorsely scabrous, the longest 

 projecting a little above the nut. Stamens 3. Style deeply 2-cleft. Nut 

 when mature almost black, very minutely roughened, but shining, 

 crowned with a very small depressed whitish tubercle. 



Hab. Wet places, in the vicinity of both salt and fresh 

 water. Georgia and Florida, Dr. Baldwin ! ; near New Orleans, 

 T. Drummond, (Mr. Arnott) ; Middle Florida, Dr. Chapman! 



Obs. This species inhabits many parts of the world, but has 

 not hitherto been introduced into the Flora of North America, 

 the Scirpus capitatus of most of our botanical writers being the 

 Eleocharis ohtusa. Nees ab Esenbeck has constituted of this, 

 and several other species of Eleocharis, his genus Eleogenus, 

 which is chiefly characterized by the bulbous base of the style 

 or tubercle being of a callous instead of a corky or soft sub- 

 stance. I have not been able to detect the hypogynous bristles 

 in the specimen sent to me from Middle Florida by Dr. Chap- 

 man. 



/3. Spikes ovate-oblong, many-flowered; bristles rather 

 shorter than the nut. 



