320 North American Cyj^eraeecs 



<^. 2. Culm niany-spiked. 

 t. Spikes lateral. 



5. SciRrus DEBiLis, Pursh. 



Culm terete, with naked sheaths at the base, striate ; spikes 

 5 — 5, ovate, closely sessile, the culm continued far beyond 

 them ; scales broadly ovate, obtuse, mucronulate; style 2-cleft; 

 nut broadly obovate, plano-convex^ slightly punctate and ob- 

 scurely rugulose, (dark brown and shining,) shorter than the 

 rigid bristles. 



S. debilis, Pursh, fi. 1. p. 55; Muhl.! gram. p. 34; Bi^.! fi. Bost. 

 ed. 2. p. 21 ; Torr. ! fi. 1. p. 48 ; Beck, hot. p. 425 ; Gray ! Gram. !^ Cyp. 

 part 2. no. 135; Darlingt.! fl. Cest. ed. 2. p. 21; Ram. S^- Schult. syst. 

 2. p. 128 ; Spreng. syst. 1. p. 206. 



Culms 6 — 18 inches high, cespitose, with a few subulate leaves at the 

 base. Sheaths sometimes mucronate. Spikes often solitary, but gene- 

 rally 3, (rarely 5 — 6) growing from the side of the culm several inches 

 below its summit, 3 — 5 lines in length. Scales roundish-ovate, concave, 

 membranaceous, mostly (Atuse, with a minute mucronate point, smooth, 

 yellowish on the sides, the centre green. Bristles 4 — 6, strong, overtop- 

 ping the nut, retrorsely hispid : but sometimes, instead of bristles, there 

 are only rudimentary processes at the base of the nut. Stamens 3. 

 Style mostly 3- cleft; one of the divisions- is. sometimes forked above 

 the trifurcation. Nut much compressed, very obtuse, the breadth nearly 

 equal to the length, slightly pointed with the minute remains of the 

 style, when mature of a dark brown or nearly black colour, and shining; 

 the surface, when highly magnified, appearing a little waved or rugulose. 



Hab. Borders of lakes and rivulets, particularly in sandy 

 soils, Massachusetts to North Carolina. Williamstown, Mas- 

 sachusetts, Prof. Dewey!; near Boston, B. D. Greene!; 

 banks of the Connecticut, Pro/'.. Hi^cAcocA;.'; shore of Lake 

 Ontario, Br. Gray ! ; Long Island ! ; West Chester, Penn- 

 sylvania, Pr. Darlington!; Lincolnton, North Carolina, Mr. 

 Curtis ! ; Georgia .'' Dr. Baldwin. 



