500 TWO NEW DICCIOUS GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
it is compressed and laterally elongated, showing distinctly enough the biserial arrangement. The Shee spikelets 
are, like the staminate ones, arranged so that the lower glume is inside and the upper one outside in the 
The thick rhachis of these heads is firmly united with the upper glumes, which in fruit become aga ; they 
have a pale whitish or straw color, and smooth and shining surface, with a few scattered hairs ; at maturity they sepa- 
rate entire from the common peduncle, at the insertion of which a tuft of short hair is noticed. 
The lower glume is a small triangular or ovate, obtuse, acute or acuminate, 1-nerved, carinate scale, completely 
hidden in the interior of the head. The lower glume of the lowest spikelet only is larger, with 2 or 3 foliaceous 
points, turned half outside, and with its lower edge united to the back of the corresponding upper glun 
Upper glumes much larger, the largest organ of the spikelets, convex outside, concave sae, ats ovate 
narrowed at base, and separated there from one another by a deep and rounded sinus; terminating into 3 herbaceous, 
nerved, lanceolate-linear lobes, a larger central and 2 smaller lateral ones. 
wer palea, of course, opposite the upper glume and therefore turned towards the centre of the head, much 
smaller, also 3-pointed, with two further lateral membranaceous teeth, enveloping the upper palea. Upper palea 
still smaller, 2-nerved, membranaceously 2-pointed. Scales similar to those of the staminate flowers. ] 
Three minute rudimentary stamens at the base of the short-stipitate, compressed, lenticular ovary, which 
at the apex bears 2 rather short, erect styles and elongated stigmata, protruding from the apex of the flower. Hair of 
the stigma simple, rather short and scarcely dentate. 
Mature head ventricose, thick, extremely hard, enclosing the loose grain, Grain about 1 line long, orbicular, 
ovate, flat on the outer (turned towards the lower palea and inside of the head) and convex on the inner face, 2-pointed 
at the apex by the persistent bases of the styles. Embryo on the flat, outer side of the grain and almost as long as it. 
Each spike or head has, with very rare goes at the upper end an incomplete rudimentary spikelet, con- 
sisting of a single 2-3-pointed upper glume. with the Saheclocke lower glume of the lowest spikelet, 
seems at first glance to form an involucrum for the nae or the upper steones | together have been taken for an invo- 
lucrum ; the lower glumes were overlooked, and the plant placed with the paniceous genus Anthephora, Schreb., which 
is closely allied to Cenchrus. From the analysis given above it will be seen that this view is based on a very super- 
ficial examination of our plant; and that the structure of the head is entirely analogous to that of the staminate 
spike of this ana the spike of the chlorideous grasses in general, from which the Buffalo-grass can in no manner be 
separated. 
MONANTHOCHLOE, Nov. Gey. 
Flores diceci, subconformes. 
Spicule singule, terminales, sessiles, 3-5 floree, glumis destitute. 
Planta mascula: flos infimus neuter, e palea inferiore foliacea, sola aut cum palea superiore hyalina integra, emar- 
ginata vel bipartita consistens. Flos secundus rarissime unipaleaceus, interdum neuter, plerumque eque ac tertius nec 
non quartus teres, elongatus, staminiferus. Flos ultimus plerumque abortivus ad stipitem bipaleaceum reductus. 
Palea floris staminiferi inferior ovato-lanceolata, convoluta, apice scarioso obtusa, sursum virescens, indistincte multi- 
(9-11) nervis, infra pallida, coriacea, enervis. ea superior inferiorem paulo excedens, convoluta, apice scarioso 
obtusa, dorso bicarinata. Squamule nulle. Stamina 3; anthere lineares utrumque profunde bilobe, filamentis lon- 
giores, vix exserte. Ovarii rudimentum nullum. 
Planta feeminea : spiculz masculis simillime, flores plerumque 2, rarius 1 aut 3 fertiles. Palea inferior 
flores superiores basi involvens. Palea superior bialato-carinata, alis circum flores superiores ngs [437] 
Squamule nulle. Stamina 3 rudimentaria minuta. Ovarium lanceolato-lineare, trigonum, basi in stipite 
angustatum, apice acutato bifidum glabrurh ; styli terminales erecti, ovarium equantes ; stigmata stylis Jat longi- 
ora, ex floris apice exserta, pilis simplicibus plumosa. Caryopsis libera triangularis. 
Gramen littoribus sinus Mexicani Texanis Floridanisque incolum, ramosum, stoloniferum, fruticulosum ; foliis 
brevissimis, rigidis, squarrosis; floribus vix conspicuis. — Monanthochloé greece gramen floribus (spiculisve) singulis 
MOoONANTHOCHLOE LITTORALIS, 7. sp. 
rennis suffruticosa ramosissima stolonifera glabriuscula; foliis fasciculatis linearibus falcatis brevibus rigidis 
multinerviis, apice obtusiuseulo cartilagineis, supra ad nervos pnberulis, margine ciliato-scabris; _ abbreviatis 
truncatis breviter ciliatis; spiculis singulis in apice caulis ramulorumque intra folia superiora sessili 
This peculiar and most interesting grass has been sent by Drummond from Texas, by Berlandier (No. 3227) from 
the region of Matamoras (mouth of the Rio Grande?) by Blodgett from Key West, Florida, and Lindheimer found it 
in flower, in May, on the island of Galveston, Texas, “covering large tracts of moist, sandy, saline soil.”* I have 
* * Monanthochloé littoralis, Engelm., heretofore only known from coasts of the Gulf of Mexico, I found on the Bay of 
San Diego, Cal., where it grows with that curious Batis maritima, already noticed there 30 years ago by Dr. Parry.” — Engel- 
mana, in Bot. Gazette, 1881, vi. 225. — Eps. 
