346 North American Ct/peracc^. 



3. FlMBRISTYLIS SPADICEA, Vciltl. 



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, slightly bulbous at the base ; nut obovate, 

 compressed, punctato-striate. 



F. spadicea, Vahl, cnum. 2. p. 294; Pursh,jl. 1. p. 49; Rcem. S^-Schnlt. 

 ifijst. 2. p. 101 ; Beck, hot. p. 423 ; Spreng. si/st. 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. 30-5; Wait.fl. Car. 

 p. 30; Elliott, sk. 1. p. 84; MuhL! gram. p. 36; Ton:! fl. 1. p. .53; 

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



S. Carolinian us, Lam. ill. 1. p. 142? 



S. ferrugineus, MuhL! gram. p. 31, (in part). 



S. castaneus, Michx.!fl. 1. p. 31, (not o? MuhL). 



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



Culms 1 — 2 feet high, nearly terete towards the base, compressed and 

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

 narrow, somewhat scabrous on the margin towards ihe summit, chan- 

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

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

 cre genersXly 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 shining, and of a dark chestnut colour ; many of the lower ones 

 sterile. Stamens 3, (rarely 2) ; filaments broad. Style conspicuously 

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

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

 whitish, thin on the margin, marked with fine strife and lines of impressed 

 dots. 



Hab. Wet meadows, generally in brackish places, but 

 not confined to the immediate vicinity of salt water, l^ew York ! 

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



