NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES OF RHYNCHOSPORA. 
Indies, one of the Cape of Good Hope, 
and two are common both to Europe and 
North America. 
In Willdenow’s Species Plantarum, two 
species of Rhynchospora are described as 
natives of North America, viz. Scheenus 
glomeratus and cymosus. Lamarck, in the 
Ast vol. of his Z/lustrations of the Genera of 
has im y characterized three 
species, collected in Carolina and Florida, 
by Mr. Fraser. Two of these can be sa- 
tisfactorily determined, and to these the 
specific names of Lamarck must be restored, 
to the exclusion of those conferred by later 
authors. Michaux, in his Flora Borealt- 
Americana, has enumerated nine species, 
and they are, for the most part, very accu- 
rately described. The Descriptio Überior 
Graminum of Muhlenberg contains detail- 
ed. descriptions of thirteen species of this 
genus. Specimens of many of these, 
however, do not exist in his Herbarium ; 
and those which have a place there, are in 
such a state of confusion (there being often 
three or four species with a single label), 
that little information is to be obtained by 
consulting it. 
The species of Schenus, with h 
nous bristles and a subarticulated tubercle, 
were separated to form the genus Rhyn- 
chospora, by Vahl, in the 2nd vol. of his 
Enumeratio eii published in the 
your 1808. His specific. MS ronis are 
, leaves, 
and gunt terri iit of minor 
I fib 1 
in, tha 
more eligible and important ones furnished 
by the spikelets, bristles, and fruit. Con- 
sequently, there remain some doubts as to 
the synonymy of Vahl, which can only be 
removed by the examination of his original 
specimens. 
Pursh appears not to have studied this 
genus with care. In the Flora Americe 
(D o£ 22.2 - d PM. | 
and the specific characters of Vahl are 
quoted without alteration. 
+ ate late Mr. Elliott, in the fieny df 
cea species of Rhynchospora. Al- 
though the synonymy is often inaccurate, 
27 
yet his detailed accounts are so far correct, 
that we have little difficulty in determini 
the plants to which they are intended to 
apply. In a few cases, moreover, I have 
had the opportunity of examining authen- 
tic specimens labelled by Mr. Elliott, and 
by him communicated to Dr. Torrey. 
RHYNCHOSPORA. Vahi. 
Schani species, Linn.—Chetospora, 
H. B. K.—Nat. Ord. Cyperacee. 
Trianpria MONOGYNIA. 
SPICUL# pauciflore; glumis undique 
imbricatis, inferioribus vacuis. SET# hy- 
pogyne plerumque sex. Nux indurata, 
basi styli persistente subarticulata. 
Culms mostly simple, triangular or sub- 
terete, leafy. escence corymbose, 
paniculate or fasciculate, rarely capitate. 
Corymbs one or several, terminal or lateral, 
mostly single, but sometimes two or three 
emerging from the same sheath. Spikelets 
ovate or lanceolate, few-flowered. Glumes 
imbricated on every side, one-nerved, cus- 
pidate : the inferior ones shorter and empty. 
Perianthium composed of a definite num- 
ber of hypogynous bristles. Bristles five 
- to twelve, but for the most part, six, in two 
series; the three outer ones opposite to, 
and the three inner ones alternate with the 
stamens, plumose or denticulate-hispid ; 
the hispidness directed either upward or 
Anthers linear, exserted. Style one, bifid, 
rarely entire, dilated at the base. Nut 
crustaceous, ovate, obovate, or rotund, len- 
ticular or subglobose ; often attenuated at 
the base, crowned and subarticulated with 
the indurated, persistent base of the style, 
or (as in R. laza and R. macrostachya) 
with the whole style indurated and persist- 
ent. Seed ovate or globose, not adhering 
to the pericarp. 
* Nut rugose. 
l. R.cymosa isis culmo triquetro, 
corymbis SM terminalibus axillari- 
busque, spiculis o 
iculato-obovata subcompressa - transver- 
sim undulato-rugulosa setis. sursum —— 
A 
