346 North American Cyperacea:. 



3. FlMBRISTYLIS SPADICEA, Valtl. 



Culm somewhat compressed, nearly naked; leaves semite- 

 rete, filiform, naked at the throat, nearly smooth ; umbel of 

 few rays, simple or compound ; spikes ovate-oblong or cylin- 

 drical ; involucre of 2 — 3 subulate leaves ; stamens 3 ; style 

 broad, fimbriate, slighdy bulbous at the base ; nut obovate, 

 compressed, punctato-striate. 



F. spadicea, Vahl, enutn. 2. p. 294; Pursh,fl. 1. p. 49; Rcem. S^-Schdt. 

 sysL 2. p. 101 ; Beck, bot.j). 423; Spreng. syst. 1. p. 201. 



F. castanea, Vahl, cnum. 2. p. 92; Pursh! fl. 1. p. 49. 



Scirpus spadiceus, Linn. sp. p. 74; Willd. sp. 1. p. 305; Walt.fl. Car. 

 p. 30; EllioU, sk. 1. p. 84; Muhl..' gram. p. 36; Torr.f fl. 1. p. 53; 

 Gray! Gram. Sf Cyp. part 1. no. 86. 



S. Caroliiiianus, Lam. ill. 1. p. 142? 



S. fcrrugineus, Muhl..' gram. p. 31, (in part). 



S. castaiieus, Michx.! fl. 1. p. 31, (not o'i Muhl.). 



S. culmo triquetro nudo, panicula laxa, &c. Gron. ! fl. Virg. 132. 



Culms 1 — 2 feet hi.^li, nearly terete towards the base, compressed and 

 striate above, sirong and rigid, smooth. Leaves 6 — 8 inches high, very 

 narrow, somewhat seabrou:i on the margin towards the summit, chan- 

 nelled ; sheaths loose and distichously arranged, the lower ones ferrugin- 

 ous. Umbel patulous, simple, or with the rays a little divided. Involu- 

 cre generally shorter than the umbel ; leaves subulate, rather rigid, sca- 

 brous on the margin. Spikes 3 — 6 lines long, at first ovate, or ovate- 

 oblong, but when old, often cylindrical, about two lines in diameter. 

 Scales rigid, much dilated, somewhat mucronate, in the young state 

 pale ferruginous, and minutely pubescent, but at length quite smooth 

 and sliining, and of a dark chestnut colour ; many of the lower ones 

 sterile. Stamens o, (rarely 2) ; filaments broad. »S<2/^e conspicuously 

 ciliate, particularly about the bifurcation, divided about one-third of the 

 way down, the segments recurved. Nut obtuse, somewhat lenticular, 

 whitish, tliin on the margin, marked Vvith fine strias and lines of impressed 

 dots. 



Hab. Wet meadows, generally in brackish places, but 

 not confined to the immediate vicinity of salt water. New York ! 

 to Florida ! and west to Texas ! Not uncommon in the salt 



