80 TRIANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 



branaceous margin on one side, and a lateral tooth on tlie 

 other, lateral nerves set with 2 rows of g"lobular resinous 

 glands, the central one, a little pubescent, (seen through 

 a lens) sending out fiom above the middle, a straight, 

 • horizontal aw n, tuberculate at its base! rigid, and inclined 

 inwards; inner \alve acute, 1 -nerved, awnless, about one 

 fourth the length of ihe outer valve. Flosculi deciduous, 

 various, 4 or 5, valves lanceolate, membranaceous, cari- 

 nate, 3 or 4 neutral, only I hermaphrodite, flowers all bi- 

 valved; fertile and lowest neutral sessile flower villous on 

 the margin about mid- way, the lowest florets also villous 

 at the b; sc; the perfect flower sheathed by an auxiliary 

 valve simdar to that of the corolla; sessile dorsal valves 

 all awned below the summit, that of the lowest neutral 

 floret the length of tlie valve; awns straight: lerminal neu- 

 tral florets pedicellate, smooth, uppermost very small and 

 entirely awnless. Stamens 3. " Styles 2, shorter than the 

 corolla. Stigmas plumose, purple. Nectaries 2, obovate, 

 shorter than the germ." Ki.i.iott. Seed aiillate, trun- 

 cate at ihe apex, oblong, subtriquetrous, smooth, corcu* 

 lum merely attached to the separated farinaceous peris- 

 perm. — (Seen persis'ent in winter, and in a dried state with 

 Dr. Baldwin, of Savannah.) 



Although I have not been able, with Mr. Elliott, to ob- 

 serve a 3 valved calix in this singular grass, there still 

 appears to be sufficient reason to separate it from an}' ge- 

 nus which can iiiclude the Chloris petrieoy and C mucro' 

 nata. The form and character of the calix, the singular 

 abortion of the flosculi, in which one side of the spikelet 

 is neutral, the membranaceous consistence of all the 

 valves, a large .sessile accessory valve or single glumed 

 rudiment applied to the dorsal valve of the only herma- 

 phrodite flower, and tlie awns all arising from beneath 

 the summit of the valves, are circumstances combined 

 which perhaps no other known genus possesses . 



It exists only, with many other North American plants, 

 in the primitive maritime soil, and in depressed situations. 

 Its glandulous aroma is so powerful as to create pun- 

 gency on being masticated. 



112. MANISURIS. X. 



Flowers j)o!yg;imous, spiked. — TIermaphrodite 

 calix l-fl«fwercd, 2-vaIved, valves unequal, ex- 

 terior conaceous, roundish, tiie base emarginate 

 on either side. Corolla 2- valved, smaller, in- 



