North American Ct/jmracea. 303 
Elfocharis obttisa, Sehult. inant. 2. p. 80; Link, cnum. p. 42, (fide 
Sehult.) ; Gaud, in Frcyc. voy. p. 414, (fide Hook.); Hook, c^ Arn. in hot. 
of Becchcy^s voy. p. 98. 
Scirpus obtusus, WithL cnum. hort. Berol. 1. p. 76; Ram. Sf Schutt. 
syst. 2. p. 126 ; Dartingl. / jl. Cest. ed. 2. p. 19 ; Gray ! Grain. Sf Cyp. 
part 2. no. 132. 
S. capitatus, Walt. Car. p. 70, (not oi Linn.); Pursh! Ji. 1. p. 55, 
(excL syn.) ; Elliott, sk. 1. i). 77 ; MuhU gram. p. 30; Torr. ! fl. 1. p. 
45, (excl. syn. Linn., Willd. sp. and R. Brown,); Big.fl. Best. ed. 2, 
p. 20; Beck! hot. p. 424. 
S. ovatus, Pursh, jl. 1. p. 54; Muhl. ! cat. p. 6. 
S. culmo selaceo nudo, sjjica subglobosa, Gron. jl. Virg. 12, 
Culms cespitosc 8 — 14 inches high, attcnitated immediately below the 
spike, of a soft and spongy texture, clotlied witli one or more parplish 
truncate sheaths at the base. Spike thick, and obtireCf 50 — SO-flowered, 
often subglobose, and sometimes elongated so as to appear snbcylindri- 
cal. Scales membranaceous, with a scarious margin and green midrib. 
Bristles 6, nearly twice as long as the nut, rigid, retrorscly hispid. Sta- 
mens 3. Nut doubly convex, the margin tumid and distinct, light brown. 
Tubercle somewhat axe-form, (the breadth greater tlian the length), with 
a short obtuse angled summit. 
Hab. Bogs, and muddy ditches, particularly near salt 
water; — Canada to Florida; common. 
Obs. This species, which is so eommon in the United 
States, (though not confined to North America, it having heen 
found in the Sandwich Islands,) has been confounded by most 
of our botanists with E. cajntaia, R. Br. (Scirpus capitatus, 
Linn. It is also considered by some as the E. ovata, R. Br.* 
(S. ovatus, Ehr.) The former is very distinety as will 
* Linnffius referred " Scirpus culmo setaceo ntido, spica subglobosa," 
Gron. jl. Virg. 12, to S. capitatus, nnd this error having been copied by 
Willdenow and other AVriters, the S. capitatus has obtained a place in 
our Flora, although the true plant is, for the first time, described as a 
North American species, in the present Monograph. Mr. Brown, long 
ago, {prodr. 1. p. 225) corrected the mistake of Linnaeus, and pronounced 
Gronovius'^s plant to be distinct from Elcocharis capitala. 
Vol. III. 39 
