— 9— 



teeth, when deciduous, not leaving a persistent base, branches if 

 any developed by a subsequent effort after the death of the tip of 

 the stem. Variegation is intermediate between the sections in 

 several respects, the internal structure being that of the first 

 group, the external as a rule belonging to the second. These re- 

 marks as a whole have been drawn for our species, and entirely 

 ignore extralimital species of the sub-genus. 



E. Ramosissimum. — Desf. 



Stems erect or decumbent, scattered or cespitose. naked or 

 branched. 4 to 10 feet high, of exceedingly variable form, size and 

 structure, most commonly 2-4 lines in diameter, with 10-26 

 rounded angles beset with cross-bands of silex of varying sue 

 and elevation, grooves broad and shallow with a series of stomata 

 on each side, composed of 1-4 rows to a series; the space 

 between them naked or variously covered with rosettes, circles or 

 small bands of silex. 



Sheaths mostly one-third longer than wide, gradually widen- 

 ing upward, green or of various shades of brown ; leaves narrow, 

 rounded or seldom slightly ridged below, at times with a small 

 central groove above; teeth thin, the uper two-thirds deciduous, 

 the rest firmer, white-bordered, persistent as a triangular lanceo- 

 late termination to the leaf ; branches when present few or many, 

 long or short, with much the structure of the stem. The first in- 

 ternode is always very short. 



The central cavity occupies about two-thirds of the total di- 

 ameter of the stem, the vallecular mostly small, transversely 

 oblong. The arrangement of bast and green parenchyma varies 

 according to size of the plant. 



This species in some of its many forms is found around the 

 world, mostly in tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is appar- 

 ently very rare in America but is found from the western United 

 State to Chile. The forms extending into the temperate regions 

 are mostly small and the stomata in a single row ; while Mexico is 

 the only warm country that bears them so. Reported from 

 British Columbia by Dr. Lyall, but the locality needs confirmation 

 for three reasons : first, it has never been found there since 

 1849; second, its nearest relative on the south is 1,000 miles away, 



