TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA 17 



Root perennial? bulbous, with descending fibres. Culm triangular, 6 to Id in- 

 ches high, nearly naked. Leaves shorter than the culm, situated at the base, 

 •d. nearly smooth* Involucre 4 or 5 leaved, unequal : 2 usually much larger 

 lhan the rest, the Longest about 3 times the Length of the umbel. Heads 3 to 5, 

 sometimes but one, globose, or oval ; the middle one sessile, the rest on peduncles, 

 or rays. Spikelets in the lower part of the head reflected when mature, 2 to 3 flow- 

 ered, generally but one flower perfecting its seed. Glumes nerved ; the lowest pair 

 v. !•♦, ovate and obtuse, the upper ones Lanceolate. Seed oblong, brown. 

 /Jab. Darrens : also mar Black rock, Schuylkill : not common. Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. F«>und l'v I). Tu\. ksbnd, Esq. in 1829. Those specimens collected on the 

 mica-slate hills, seem to be the var. tenellu$, of Torrey's Flora. In some intanccs 

 the head? are oblong, and considerably resemble the M. ct/lindricuQ, of »Mr. Elliott; 

 from whom I received authentic specimens. Two other species are enumerated in 

 the U. States. 



|>. Ovary invested with Bristles. 



19. DULICHIUM. Rich. JSTutt. Gen. 53. 



Greek, Duo, two, and Leichen, scab, or scale ; in allusion to the two-rowed scale- 

 like glum< s. ex Eat.~\ 



Spikes axillary, somewhat racemose; spikelets linear-lanceolate, rather 



compressed ; Glumes distichous, sheathing. Stile very long, bifid, base 

 persistent. Seed compressed. 



I. D. 8PATHACEU.H, Pers. Culm terete, leafy; leaves alternate, near- 

 ly equal, pointing in three directions; spikelets spreading. Beck 9 Bot. 

 p. 422. Icok, EIL Sk. 1. tab. 2./. 3. Spxcim. Gray, Cram. 2. 

 no. 131. 



Cyperus spathaceus, Willd. Sp. 1. p. 289. Muhl. CataL p. 6. 

 Ejusd. Gram. p. 26. Bigel. Host. p. ID. 

 Scirpus spathaceus. J\fu\ .lm. 1. p. 32. 

 Spathackou8 Dulichium. Vulgb — Sheathed Galingale. 



Root perennial. Culm 1 to 2 feet high, nodose, terete below, obscurely triangu- 

 lar above. Leaves linear-lanceolate, flat, 2 to 3 inches lone, spreading almost 

 horizontally, and regularly in three directions: sheaths cylindrical, shorter than 

 the joints. Spikelets 5 to 7 flowered, sessile, alternate, on a common peduncb-. 

 about as long as the internodes, and twice as Ion? as the sheaths. Glumes lance- 

 olate, acute. Seed oblong, compressed, (triangular, Torr.). Bristles about 6, rc- 

 frorsely hispid, longer than the seed. 

 Hob. Swamps, and margins of ponds: common. Fl. July. Fr. Sept. 



Obs. Believed to be the only species of the genus, in V. S. The seed, both in 

 form and color, looks something like a miniature cucumber-seed. 



DIV. II. SciRPBJE— Spikelets icilh the Glumes imbricated on all sides. 

 Ovary mostly invested with Bristles. 



20. SCIRPUS. L. Mitt. Gen. 47. 

 [An ancient Latin name for the Bull-rush, which belongi to this genus.] 



Spikelets ovoid, imbricated all round, many-flowered. Seed compres- 

 sed, or triquetrous ; sometimes naked, but generally invested with Bris- 

 tles, or long hairs. 



Oft 



