Nor/h American Ci/peracea. 345 



leaves and sheaths a Httle hairy. I have specmiens of a Fim- 

 bristyUs scarcely distinct from this, collected by the late Dr. 

 Baldwin in Bahia, Brazil. 



2. FlMBRISTYLIS CONGESTA. 



Densely cespitose ; culms and leaves setaceous, scabrous; 

 spikes cylindrical-oblong, in a terminal head, much shorter 

 than the 3 — ^4-leaved involucre ; scales lanceolate, very acute ; 

 stamen 1 ; style smooth ; nut minute, lenticular, broadly obo- 

 vate, longitudinally striate, and transversely rugose. 



Culms forming dense tufts, 2 — 4 inches high, compressed, striate, with 

 a channel on one side. Leaves channelled, as long as the culm ; sheaths 

 loose, naked at the throat. Involucral leaves unequal, 4 — 10 times as 

 long as the spikes, setaceous and scabrous. Sjiikes 5 — 8, in a close head, 

 3 — 4 lines long, nearly cylindrical, 50 — 60-flowered. Scales of an 

 obscure green and brown colour, slightly mucronate and subsquarrose. 

 Stamen solitary. Style long, filiform, somewhat compressed, 2-cleft one- 

 third of the way down; the divisions recurved, nearly smooth; the bul- 

 bous base about one fifth the dianieter of the nut. Nut exceedingly mi- 

 nute, yellowish, strongly rugose transversely, and marked with several 

 longitudinal lines on each side. 



Hab. Near New Orleans, T. Drummond ! ; Wilmington, 

 North Carolina, Mr. Curtis 7 



Obs. This species strongly resembles F. argentea of Vahl , 

 and also, N. ab Esenbeck {in Wighfs contrih. p. 100); but the 

 latter differs in the ovate scales, and in the deep angular mem- 

 branaceous alveolag of the rachis. I have seen a s^iecimen of 

 this plant in the Herbarium of the Academy of Sciences in 

 Philadelphia, labelled " Scirpus minimus, New Jersey." I am 

 somewhat uncertain respecting the N. Carolina locality, as the 

 plant which I supposed was received from Mr. Curtis was un- 

 fortunately placed in my herbarium before its name and station 

 were recorded. 



