342 North America u Cyycraceie. 
the point; spikes pedunculate, shorter than the involucre; 
scales somewhat acute, very finely ciliate. 
E. strictum, R. Brown in Jlichardson^s ajip. FraiMin^s ls(. journ. 
ed. 2. p. 3. 
Hab. Subarctic America, Dr. Richardson. 
Obs. I am unacquainted with this plant. Mr. Brown re- 
marks that it is a doubtful species, near E. tenclhim of Nuttall. 
11. ELYTROSPERMUM, C. A. Meyer. 
Spike many-flowered. Scales imbricated on every side, 
all of them fertile. Perigynium consisting of two lateral, ovate, 
membranaceous scales. Style simple at the base, 2-cleft. 
Nut plano-convex, with a conical point, surrounded with the 
persistent filaments and perigynium. — Habit of Scirpus lacus- 
tris. 
Elytrospermum. C. A. Meyer, in Mem. imp. acacl. St. Petersb. 
(5 ser.) 1. p. 200. (1830.) t. 2. 
Culm 3 — 4 feet high, about as thick as a goose quill, leafless, very ob- 
tusely triangular, attenuated upward, smoof.h, yellowish, green and 
somewhat glaucous. Involucre of three unequal lanceolate rigid leaves, 
mucronale and pungent ; the largest about an inch and a half long. 
Umbel terminal, decompound ; the rays about 20, unequal, semiterete, 
smooth ; partial umbels consisting of 2 — 5 spikes, which are sessile or 
pedunculate. Spike oblong, many-flowered, 2 — 3 lines long. Scales 
ovate, obtuse, smooth, ferruginous, scarious and obscurely lacerated on 
the margin, tipped with a scabrous green point. Perigynium com- 
pressed, linear, soinewhat dilated at the base, dark purple, fimbriately 
ciliate, a little longer than the ovary. Stamens 2 — 3; filaments white, 
linear, flat, membranaceous. Stiginas 2. Nut obovate, oblong, atten- 
uated at the base, somewhat compressed, yellowish, smooth, puncticu 
late. 
Hab. California, C. A. Meyer. 
