584 graminEjE. (grass family.) 



1- L. Alabamensis, n. sp. Smooth throughout; culms low (4' -6' high), 

 simple, jointed near the base ; leaves mostly two ; the lowest one 3-4 times the 

 length of the culm ; the elongated purple sheath enclosing the short membrana- 

 ceous upper one, and the stalk of the simple few-flowered panicle ; spikelets 

 pale, ovate-lanceolate, shorter than the erect or appressed capillaiy pedicels; 

 the staminate and pistillate ones borne on separate culms ; palcse of staminate 

 Bpikelet lanceolate, 7-nerved ; those of the pistillate ovate-lanceolate, 11-13- 

 nerved, mucli longer than the smooth grain. — Brooklyn, Conecuh County, 

 Alabama, /. /''. Beaumont. 



60. MONANTHOCHLOE, Engelm. 



A low maritime branching grass, with very short rigid crowded leaves, and 

 dioecious flowers in solitary terminal sessile spikes. Glumes none. — Spikes 

 short, 3-5-flowered; the lowest flower, or the two lower ones, neutral, of 1-2 

 palese ; the uppermost abortive ; the intermediate ones, composed of two palese, 

 triandrous in the staminate, digynous in the pistillate spike. Palese convolute, 

 scarious and obtuse at the apex ; the lower one rigid, ovate-lanceolate, 9-12- 

 nerved above ; the upper rather longer, 2-keeled or 2-winged on the back. 

 Squamula; none. Anthers longer than the short filaments, 2-Iobed at each end. 

 Ovary lanceolate-linear, 3-angled. Styles 2 : stigmas elongated, plumose with 

 simple hairs. Grain 3-angled, free. 



1. M. littoralis, Engelm. — Low sandy shores. South Florida, and west- 

 ward. — Culms much branched, 5' - 8' high, smooth and somewhat woody, 

 erect, or at length prostrate and rooting. Leaves 3" long, very rigid, ob- 

 tuse, many-nerved, rough on the margins, mostly crowded at the summit of 

 the short branches, and enclosing the short (3"- 4") sessile spikes. Flowers 

 pedicelled. 



