North American Cyjjeracece. 377 



3. feCLERIA OLIGANTHA. 



Culm erect, smooth, the angles somewhat winged ; leaves 

 flat, smooth ; fascicles 2, one lateral on a long exserted peduncle, 

 the other terminal ; sterile spikelets elongated, sessile ; bracts 

 somewhat ciliate ; nut ovate, smooth and polished ; perigy- 

 nium a narrow ring, bearing 8 minute tubercles. 



S. oligantha, Michx.fl. 2. p. 167 ? ; Elliott, sk. p. 557. 



Culm about 2 feet high, slender, triquetrous. Leaves 2 lines wide, 

 smooth, except on the margin near the summit. Fascicles of spikes 

 scarcely an inch long ; the lateral one often barren, remote, supported 

 on a slender peduncle about 6 inches in length. Spikelets in 3 — 4 

 pairs ; the sterile one-third of an inch long ; scales lanceolate, some- 

 what rigid, dark purple. Stamens 3. Style deeply 3-parted. Nut a 

 line and a half in length, exactly ovate, obtuse, white. Perigynium 

 consisting of 8 small white cellular processes, approximated in pairs, 

 and forming a circle under the base of the nut. 



Hab. Wet pastures and pine barrens. South Carolina, 

 Elliott; Middle Florida, Dr. Chapman! 



Oes. I am not quite satisfied respecting the synonyms 

 quoted under this species. The specimens in Michaux's 

 herbarium are without fruit, and Elliott, who quotes Michaux 

 with a mark of doubt, describes the leaves as narrow ; whereas 

 in our plant, they are broader than in many other species. 

 Willdenow (and Pursh copying him) referred S. oligantha to the 

 succeeding species, which is, however, a totally distinct plant. 



4. SCLERIA PAUCIFLORA, Mulll. 



Culm slender, smoothish ; leaves narrow, with pubescent 

 sheaths ; fascicles lateral and terminal, few-flowered ; the 

 lateral ones remote, on long peduncles ; bracts ciliate ; nut 

 globose-ovate, verrucose ; the warts at the base stipitate ; peri- 

 gynium a narrow ring supporting 6 minute tubercles. 



S. pauciflora, MuJil ! gram. p. 267, (in part) ; Willd. sp. 4. p. 318, 



