North American Cyperacea. 373 



spikelets aggregated in heads of 3 — 8 together; style 3-clelt, 

 the divisions entire. 



Schoenus mariscoides, Muld.! gram. p. 5 ; Torr.! ji. 1. p. 

 54 ; Big. ! ji. Bost. ed. 2. p. 17 ; Beclc, hot. p. 428 ; Gray ! 

 Gram, and Cyp. part 1. no. 97. 



Cuhn about 2 feet high, scarcely angular, nearly smooth, about a line 

 and a half in diameter towards the base. Leaves very narrow, concave, 

 with a long compressed poiut. Umbels 2 — 3, erect; the lateral ones on 

 long exserted peduncles ; primary rays 2 — 4, with several shorter ones. 

 Spikes about 3 lines long, ovate-oblong when mature. Scales about 6, 

 chestnut colour, the 4 lower ones usually empty, the fifth bearing two 

 stamens and an abortive ovary, the uppermost hermaphrodite, diandrous. 

 Style filiform, 3-cleft, deciduous; the divisions mostly equal, but some- 

 times two of them are united towards tlie base. Nut about one line in 

 length, ovate, with a short abrupt acute point somewhat wrinkled longi- 

 tudinally ; the upper half of the pericarp much thickened and of a corky 

 texture. 



Hab. Bog meadows and borders of ponds, Canada to 

 Pennsylvania. Near Montreal, Lower Canada, Br. Holmes!; 

 near Boston, Dr. Bigclow! &fB. D. Greene, Esq.! ; Litchfield, 

 Connecticut, Mr. Brace ! Highlands of New York, Dr. Bar- 

 ratt! ; Western parts of the State of New York, Dr. Gray ! 

 near New York, and in many parts of the State of New Jersejv- 

 particularly in the Newark meadows, and in the pine barrens ! ; 

 Pennsylvania, Muhlenberg! 



Obs. Although this species deviates from the character of 

 Cladium as laid down by N. ab Esenbeck, there can be no 

 doubt of its being a congener of C. Mariscus of R. Brown, as 

 was long ago showai by Muhlenberg. It differs from that 

 species in its much more slender habit, nearly smooth and nar- 

 row leaves, less crowded umbel with elongated rays, a nut of 

 one half the size, and a 3-cleft style. I have not received 

 specimens from any place south of Pennsylvania or West of 

 the Alleghany mountains. The specific name of Muhlenberg 

 is retained, although not altogether appropriate. 



