MONOECIA. TRIANDRIA. J9S 



316. SCLERIA. Nutt. Gen. 734. 

 [Gr. Skleros, hard; in reference to its hard, polished seeds.] 



Male, C'al. 2 to 6 valved, many flowered. Cor. glumes awnless. 



Fem. Cal. 2 to 6 valved, 1 flowered. Cor. 0. Stigmas 1 to 3. Nut colored, subglobose. 



S. TRiGLOMERATA. Ell. Stem acutely triquetrous; leaves lance-linear; nut smooth. 

 F«/g-o— Whip-grass. 



Fl. Beginning of June. Pr. mat. Middle of July. 



Hab. Barren ridge, frequent: rare elsewhere. 2 to 3 feet high. Nut white. 



Obs. This is not the S. triglomerata, of Pursh. I have a specimen from Georgia, which seems to b« iden- 

 tical with ours. 



S. PAUCiFLORA. Ell. Stem triquetrous; leaves linear; nut rugose, or papillate. 

 Fl. Latter end of May. Fr. mat. Beginning of July. 



Hab. Barren ridge, abundant: rare elsewhere. About 1 foot high. Nut white, small- 



06s. Dr. Torrey, to whom I sent specimens, avers that this is not the S. pauciflora, of Pursh. 



317. SPARGANIUM. iXutt. Gen. 731. 

 [Gr. Sparg-anoji, a fillet, or bandage; from its riband-like leaves.] 



Male, ^/noU globose. Ca/. 3 to 6 leaved. Cor. 0. 



Fem. Jmcnt globose. Ca/. 3 to Cleaved. Cor. 0. (Sfigwia simple, or bifid. Drt(;?e dry, 1 seede'd 



S. americanum.' IVutt. Lower leaves carinate at base, as long as the stem; stigma simple, oblique. 

 Synon. S. simplex. ^ IVWd. Ph. Mahl- Vulgo—Bm-reed. 



Fl. Middle of July, and after- Fr. mat. Middle of September, and after. 



Hub- Sluggish rivulets, ditches, &c. frequent. 12 to 18 inches high: heads yellowish green. 



318. TYPHA. Nutt. Gen. 730. 

 [Gr. Tiphos, a bog, or marsh; from its usual place of growth.] 



^?ne)2i cylindric, dense. Male, above. Ca?. obsolete, 3 leaved. Cor. 0. 



Fem. Cal. 0. Cor. 0. .S'eed 1, pedicellate, surrounded with a hsiiry pappus, at base 



T. latifolia. Ell. Leaves linear, flat; male and female aments approximate. 



Ft(/g-o— Cat-tail. Reed-mace. Cooper's Reed. 



Fl. Latter end of June. Fr- mat. Beginning of September. 



Hab. Pools, swampy springs, &c. frequent. 4 to 5 feet high; aments brown. 



Obs. The leaves .ire used by coopers to secure the joints of caf^ks, &c. from leaking. Poor people 

 sometimes collect the pappus, or hairy involucols of the miUirt" aments, for the purpose of filling beds; 

 but, as Dr. W. P. C. B.Trton justly remarks, it is bodi unhealtliy and unpleasant— and much inferior to 

 ^t^aw, or even to clean oats chalf. 



T. ANGUSTiFOLiA. Ph. Leaves linear. Canaliculate ; male and femfde aments remote. 

 Fl. Middle of June. Fr. mat. Last of August. 



lictb. Ponds, and wet places: Unionville: rare. 3 to 5 feet high: aments brown. 



Obs. This species is very rare in this vicinity. I am indebted for my Pennsylvania specimenp to Dr. 

 Seah— who collected it in a pond near Unionville, about S miles t'lom West-Chester. I have seen it fre- 

 quently in New Jersey. 



319. Ce]MPT0NL4. Nntl. Gen. 735. 

 [Dedicated to ife?iri/ Coviplon, Bisliop of London; who was a collector of Plants] 



Male, amoi* cylindrio. Cal. a scale. Cor. 2petal!ed.' Filaments 3 or 4, bifurcate? 

 Fem. amcjif ovate. Cal. a scale. Cor. 6 petalled. Styles 2. Nut oval. 



C ASPLENiFOLiA . £//. Leaves lance-linear-oblong, irregularly crenate-pinnatifid. 

 Sijnon. Liquidambar asplenifolia. JMurshall. I'l/go— Sweet Fern. 



Fl. Latter end of April. Fr. mat. Beginning of September, 



llab. Slaty hills: Barrens, abundant. About 2 feet high; bushy. 



Obs. An aromatic little shrub, emitting a resinous odor when bruised. It is reputed astringent, and prob- 

 ably possesses some medicinal properties. Th'.; infusion is occasionally used, in popular practice; in mild 

 dysenteric cases, and as a diet drink. 



