562 cyperace^:. (sedge family.) 



closely capitate, ovoid, obtuse, overtopped by tbe short involucral leaf; scales 

 orbicular, smooth, the inconspicuous mucronate point shorter than the scarious 

 apex; anthers with a very short and blunt minutely bearded tip ; style 2-cleft ; bristles 

 6, scarcely equalling the obovate plano-convex and mucronate achenium. — 

 Salt marshes, Martha's Vineyard (Oakes), and Rhode Island (Olney), to Dela- 

 ware, and common southward. — Cross-section of the stem strongly 3-rayed, 

 with the sides parallel. — Much nearer than the last to the European S. 

 triqueter, which has similar anthers, and an abbreviated or almost abortive 

 leaf; but its culm is wingless, and the cluster of spikes compound, some of 

 them umbellate-stalked. 



8. S. Torreyi, Olney. Bootstocks slender if any (so that the plant is 

 readily pulled up from the mud) ; culm 3-angled, with concave sides, rather slen- 

 der (2° -4° high), leafy at the base; lcaves2or 3, more than half the length of the 

 culm, triangular-channelled, slender; n;4S4-4, oblong or spindle-shaped, acute, 

 distinct, pale chestnut-color, long overtopped by the slender erect involucral leaf; 

 scales ovate, smooth, entire, barely mucronate ; style 3-clefl ; bristles longer than 

 the unequally triangular obovate very smooth and long-pointed achenium. (S. mucro- 

 natus, Pursh ?, Torr. Fl. N. Y.) — Borders of ponds, both brackish and fresh, 

 New England to Penn. and Michigan. 



■4- •*- Culm triangular, tall and stout, from slender running rootstocks : spiles many- 

 flowered loosely umbellate or corymbed, involur.ellate-br acted. 



9. S. Canbyi, Gray. Culm (3° -5° high) 3-angled, usually sharply so 

 above, obtusely below, the sheath at the base extended into a long and slender 

 triangular and channelled leaf ; the involucral leaf similar, continuing the 

 culm ; spikes oblong (4' - 6' long), single or sometimes proliferously 2 or 3 

 together, nodding on the apex of the 5-9 long filiform and flattened peduncles 

 or rays of the dichotomous umbel-like corymb, or the central one nearly sessile ; 

 scales of the spike loosely imbricated, oblong-ovate, acute, pale, thin and scari- 

 ous, with a greenish nerved back ; bristles of the perianth 6, firm, furnished 

 above with spreading hairs rather than barbs, equalling the slender abrupt beak 

 of the obovate-triangular shining achenium. — In a mill-pond, near Salisbury, 

 Maryland, A. Commons, W. M. Canby. — A remarkable species: leaf 2° -4° 

 long: involucral leaf 4' -8' long: rays or peduncles l£'-S' long, each sub- 

 tended by a single involuccllate leaf or bract, the lowest like that of the involucre 

 but short, the uppermost reduced to scale-like bracts. Achenium (l£", and its 

 beak ^" long. 



•*-■*-•*- Culm terete, very tall and stout, from a deep running rootstocl; naked ; the 

 sheaths at the base bearing a short and imperfect leaf or none: spikes numerous 

 and clustered in a one-sided compound umbel-like panicle, the principal rays of 

 which mostly surpass the involucral leaf: involucellate bracts small, scale-like and 

 rusty-scarions : scales of the spike rusty or chestnut-brown, scarious, with a salient 

 midrib extended into a mucronate point. 



10. S. v&lidus, Vahl. (Great Bulrush.) Culm 3°-9° high, J'-l' 

 thick at base; spikes ovate-oblong (3" -4" long); scales mostly a little downy 

 on the back and ciliate ; style 2-clcft ; achenium pale and dull, obovate with a nar- 

 rowed base, plano-convex, mucronate-pointed, usually overtopped by the 4 - 6 slender 



