374 North American Cyperaceeti 



2. Cladium effusum. 



Culm obtusely tiriangular; leaves sharply serrate upward; 

 corymbs numerous, decompound, diifuse, approximated and 

 forming an elongated panicle ; style 3 — 4-cleft. 



Schoenus effusus, Swartz,prodr. p. 19? ; Muhl. ! gram. p. 13; Elliott, 

 sic. 1. p. 57. 



S. Mariscus, /3. effusus, Pers. syn. 1. p. 58. 



Culm 6 — 10 feet high. Leaves 1 — 3 feet long, 4 — 10 lines wide, 

 smooth, except on the margin and midrib which are very acutely serrate 

 upward, the extremity tapering to a long triangular point. Corymbs 

 proceeding from the sheaths of the leaves on the upper part of the culm, 

 forming a large oblong panicle. Spikes 3 — 4 together, about two lines 

 long, ovate, acute. Scales about 6, brown, the uppermost only produc- 

 ing a perfect flower, the one below it bearing only stamens ; in both the 

 number of stamens constantly 2. Nut ovate, abruptly pointed, finely 

 wrinkled longitudinally, upper part of the pericarp corky. 



Hab. Ponds and fresh marshes. Wilmington and New- 

 bern, North Carolina, Mr. Curtis! SfMr. Croom! ; South Caro- 

 lina, Elliott; New Orleans and Texas, T. Drummorid ! — Aug* 

 — September. 



Obs. a tall rank sedge, known at the South by the name 

 of Saw-grass. R. Brown {yrodr. p. 236) refers to his C. 

 Mariscus, Schoenus Mariscus, Linn., S. Cladium and S. 

 effusus, Sivartz, and if his plant is identical with C. Gerinani'- 

 cum, Schrad., (to which Schcenus Mariscus, Linn, is generally 

 referred) it must be disdnct from ours* The description of S. 

 effusus in the Prodromus of Swartz is so brief that we cannot 

 satisfactorily determine whether it is the same as our d 

 effusum. Sprengel refers it to C. occidentnle, Schrad., but that 

 is described as having bristles at the base of the nut, a character 

 which does not belong to any genuine Cladium. 



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