Norf/t American Ct/perarere. 345 
leaves and sheaths a litlle hahy. I have specimens of a Fim- 
bristyhs scarcely distinct from this, collected by the late Dr. 
Baldwin in Bahia, Brazil. 
2. FlMBRISTYLIS CONGESTA. 
Densely cespitose ; culms and leaves setaceous, scabrous; 
spikes cylindrical-oblong, in a terminal head, much shorter 
than the 3 — 4-leaved involucre ; scales lanceolate, very acute ; 
stamen 1 ; style smooth ; nut minute, lenticular, broadly obo- 
vate, longitudinally striate, and transversely rugose. 
Culms forming dense tufts, 2 — 4 inches high, compressed, striate, with 
a channel on one side. Leaves channelled, as long as the culm; sheaths 
loose, naked at the throat. Involucral leaves unequal, 4 — 10 times as 
long as the spikes, setaceous and scabrous. Spikes 5 — 8, in a close head, 
3 — 4 lines long, nearly cylindrical, 50 — 60-(lowered. Scales of an 
obscure green and brown colour, slightly mucronate and subsquarrose. 
Stamen solitary. Style long, filiform, somewhat compressed, 2-cleft one- 
third of tlie way down; the divisions recurved, nearly smooth; the bul- 
bous base about one fifth the diameter of the nut. Nut exceedingly mi- 
nute, yellowish, strongly rugose transversely, and marked witli several 
longitudinal lines on each side. 
Hab. Near New Orleans, T. Dnimmond ! ; Wilmington, 
North Carolina, Mr. Curtis ? 
Obs. This species strongly resembles F. argoitea of Vahl , 
and also, N. ab Esenbeck [in Wiglit's contrib. p. 100); but the 
latter differs in the ovate scales, and in the deep angular mem- 
branaceous alveolae of the rachis. I have seen a specimen of 
this plant in the Herbarium of the Academy of Sciences in 
Philadelphia, labelled '■'■ Scirpus minimus, New Jersey." I am 
somewhat uncertain respecting the N. Carolina locality, as the 
plant wdiich I supposed was received from Mr. Curtis was un- 
fortunately placed in my herbarium before its name and station 
were recorded. 
