Narih America ?t Cyyeraccce. 327 



S. exaltatus, Pursh! fi. I. p. 56 ; Elliott, sk. 1. p. 87 ; Rcem. SfSckult. 

 syst. 2. p. 143. 



Culm 2 — 4 feet high, obtusely triangular below, acutely angular above. 

 Leaves nearly half an inch broad, as tall as the umbel, scabrous on the 

 margin. Umbel twice, and sometimes thrice, compounded ; the princi- 

 pal rays about 5, three inches or more in length, compressed and angular, 

 with truncate ochreae at the base. Spikes rather longer than in the 

 preceding species. Scales carlnate, generally of a brownish colour, 

 when old slightly acute and mucronate. Bristles 6, slender, flexuous 

 and somewhat crisped, retrorscly jiubescent, nearly twice as long as the 

 nut. Stamens 3. Nut obovate, abruptly acuminated, the point very 

 short, whitish, flat on the back, convex, or very obtusely angular in 

 front, minutely papillose. 



Hab. Swamps, and borders of ponds; mostly in shady 

 places. Near New York, and in New Jersey ! ; Deerfield, 

 Massachusetts, Pmf. Hitchcock and Dr. Cooley ! ; Pennsyl- 

 sylvania, M^ihlenhcrg ! 



/3. viviimrus. Culm very tall and somewhat climbing; um- 

 bels viviparous, bearing flowers at the base of the branches. 



S. exaltatus, ^. viviparus, Pursh, 1. c. 



Obs. This variety I have not met with. Pursh remarks 

 that it frequently attains the height of ten feet and upwards. ■ 



y. crisims. Spike ovate ; scales orbicular-ovate, with a 

 very short and abrupt point, somewhat mucronate ; bristles 

 much crisped and contorted, but (when extended) three times 

 as long as the nut, scabrous above, smooth below; nut obovate, 

 short pointed, compressed, obtusely angular in front. 



Hab. Near New York ? (The precise locality not re- 

 corded.) 



Obs. I am by no means certain that I have described the 

 S. atrovirens and S. hrunnetis so accurately that they can always 

 be distinguished ; neither am I positive that they are really- 

 distinct. The former is generally known by the dark green 

 colour of its foliage and spikes, its more simple umbel with one 

 or two of the rays elongated and nearly erect, and its denser 



Vol. m. 42 



