North American Cyperacea. 373 
spikelets aggregated in heads of 3 — 8 together; style 3-cleft, 
the divisions entire. 
Schoenus mariscoides, Muhl.! gram. p. 5 ; Torr.! fl. 1. p. 
54 ; Big. ! fl. Bost. ed. 2. p. 17 ; Beck, hot. p. 428 ; Gray ! 
Gram, and Cyp. part 1. no. 97. 
Culm about 2 feet high, scarcely angular, nearly smooth, about a line 
and a half in diameter towards the base. Leaves very narrow, concave, 
with a long compressed point. Umbels 2 — 3, erect ; the lateral ones on 
long exserted peduncles ; primary rays 2 — 4, with several shorter ones. 
Spikes about 3 lines long, ovate-oblong when mature. Scales about 6, 
chestnut colour, the 4 lower ones usually empty, the fifth bearing two 
stamens and an abortive ovary, the uppermost hermaphrodite, diandrous. 
Style filiform, 3-cleft, deciduous; the divisions mostly equal, but some- 
times two of them are united towards the base. Nut about one line in 
length, ovate, with a short abrupt acute point somewhat wrinkled longi- 
tudinally ; the upper half of the pericarp much thickened and of a corky 
texture. 
Hab. Bog meadows and borders of ponds, Canada to 
Pennsylvania. Near Montreal, Lower Canada, Dr. Holmes!; 
near Boston, Dr. Bigeloiv! ^'B. D. Greene, Esq.! ; Litchfield, 
Connecticut, Mr. Brace ! Highlands of New York, Dr. Bar- 
ratt! ; Western parts of the State of New .York, Dr. Gray ! 
near New York, and in many parts of the State of ^ew Jersey, 
particularly in the Newark meadows, and in the pine barrens ! ;. 
Pennsylvania, MuJdenherg ! 
Obs. Although this species deviates from the character of 
Cladium as laid down by N. ab Esenbeck, there can be no 
doubt of its being a congener of C. Mariscus of R. Brown, as 
was long ago shoAvn by jMithlenberg. It differs from that 
species in its much more slender habit, nearly smooth and nar- 
row leaves, less crowded umbel with elongated rays, a nut of 
one half the size, and a 3-cleft style. I have not received 
specimens from any place south of Pennsylvania or West of 
the Alleghany mountains. The specific name of Muhlenberg 
is retained, although not altogether appropriate. 
