50 TRIANDRIA. MONOGYNIA, 



axillary or terminal; (growing chiefly in arid and saline 

 wastes.) 



Species. 1. *.^me7'ica7nim-\. There are of this g-enus 5 

 other species, 4 in Siberia, the 5th near the Caspian sea. 



4S. XYRIS. L. (Yellow Flowering-Rush.) 



Flowers in an ovate-cylindric capitnliun. — 

 Calix glumaceous, 3 valved, valves unequal, 

 the outer coriaceous. Corolla 3-petalled, equal. 

 stigma trifid. Capsule 1 -celled, 3-valved. Seeds 

 very numerous, and minute. 



Leaves all radical, gramineous, or like those of the Iris, 

 linear, or ensiform-subulate, sometimes tortuose, intimate- 

 ly sheathing- at their base; the vaginae of the leaves often 

 enveloped in a gelatinous fluid. Scapes simple, round, 

 ancipital, or contorted, terminating in a dense spike or ca- 

 pitulum. Flowers closely imbricated; of very short du- 

 ration, generally yellow, (in the X. amencana of Guianne, 

 blue, but the leaves triquetrous, and the outer glumes 

 acute!) Petals retuse, often crenate. Outer glumes of the 

 capitulum concave, rounded, and obtuse, frequently abor- 

 tive below. 



Species. l.Indica. 2. Carolmiana (X- Jnpicai. Mich. 

 -Y.^exwvsa of Muhlenberg's Catalogue.) o. Jimbriata, El- 

 liott. 4. brevifoJia. S.jtincea. 



Obs. Of this genus there are 2 species in India, 1 at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, 1 in Peru, and another in Gui- 

 anne (South America,) the rest in the United States, of 

 vhich the A'. Indicu is common to India and North \m^ 

 rica as far as tiie 4Uth degree of north latitude. 



tttt Flowers glumaceous, 



44. KYLLINGTA. L. 



Flowers distinct, disposed in a roundish, ses- 

 sile, subimbricated spike, or umbellate, the 



I Perennial; stem cespitose, leaves opposite, connate, crowd- 

 ed, subulate, triquetrous, rather pungent; flowers triandrous? 

 terminal. 



On the arid hills of the Missouri. 



Obs. This species greatly resembles the P. arvense of Eii. 

 rope, but is distinctly j^erennial; I have not, however, had the 

 opportunity of e;!ti\mining good specimens, seeing it only ii> 

 i'ruit. 



