North American Cyperaceee. 31? 



keel, which is continued beyond the summit into a sharp cusp ; the lowest 

 one terminating in a bristle, and usually projecting beyond the spike. 

 Bristles 4 — 6, slender, nearly as long as the nut, hairy rather than den-- 

 ticulate, the hairs pointing upward. Stamens 3. Nut oblong, triquetrous, 

 of a light brown colour, dull, minutely puncticulate, scarcely pointed. 

 Style compressed, pub&scent or ciliate, 3-cleft, separating entirely from- 

 the nut. 



Hab. Woods, often in dry stony situations ; also in bogs* 

 Near New York, not uncommon ! ; New Brunswick and Prince- 

 ton, New Jersey ! ; Deerfield, Massachusetts, Dr. Cooley! and 

 Prof. Hitchcock!; near Boston, Dr. Bigelow; Washington 

 county. New York, Dr, M. Stevenson! ; Pennsylvania and 

 Delaware, Muhlenberg ! and Dr. Baldwin ! — June. 



Obs. This species differs so much from all our Scirpi, 

 that it may yet be removed to some other genus. It is remark- 

 able that N. ab Esenbeck should have referred it to Eleocharis, 

 since it has not the least trace of a tubercle ; and Sprengel, to 

 whom I sent specimens many years ago, placed it in Isolepis, 

 (which genus he reduced to a section of Scirpus in his Syst. Veg^ 

 notwithstanding its manifest bristles. 



2. Scirpus subterminalis, Torrey. 



Culm (immersed) filiform, terete, leafy at the base ; spike 

 oblong-lanceolate, (emersed) shorter than the bract at the base j 

 scales ovate-lanceolate ; nut triangular, abruptly acuminated ; 

 style 3-cleft. 



Scirpus subterminalis. Tori:! Jl. 1. p. 47; BecJc! hoi. p. 425; Gray! 

 Gram. Sf Cyjy. part 2. no. 8J 



Culm 1 — 3 feet long, growing under water, often roughened when dry 

 by the irregular contraction of the pith. Leaves 6 — IS inches long, fili- 

 form, channelled. Spike 3 — 4 lines long, with a narrow straight bract 

 at the base extending beyond the spike, and appearing like a continuation 

 of the culm. Scales membranaceous, somewhat mucronate, pale brown, 

 with a green midrib. Bristles 6, rigid, retrorsely scabrous, nearly as 

 long as the nut. Stamens 3. Style cleft nearly half-way down into 

 three smooth divisions. Nut large for the size of the spike, triquetrous. 



