Art. VIII. Description of a New Genus of American Grass. Diplocea Barbata.
Art. VIII. Description of a New Genus of American Grass. Diplocea Barbata, by C. S. Rafinesque, Esq.
Diplocea. Generic definition. Flowers paniculated monoical or polygamous. Exterior glumes membranaceous bivalve one to three flowered, valves subequal emarginated mutic. Anterior glumes bivalve unequal, the largest notched, notch aristated, the smallest mutic entire bearded. Additional characters. Flowers when single sepile with a lateral jutting peduncle, when double, one sepile and one pedunculated, when three two are pedunculated and alternate. The hermaphrodite and male flowers are similar: the female are nearly clandestine, inferior. Stamens 3, styles 2. Seeds ovate oblong.
Observations. This genus is intermediate between amphicarpon, Raf. (Milium amphicarpon, Pursh) and aira, L. It differs from this last by its polygamy, variable number of flowers, notched valves, &c. The generic name means double notch. Its type is the following species, which had been ranged with the aira, by Walter, and considered doubtful by Pursh.
Diplocea Barbata.
Specific definition. Stems cespitose, articulations bearded; leaves rough glaucous, neck ciliated; panicles, few flowered, female axillary; largest valvet rinervate, and ciliated as well as the awl.
Latin definition. Caulibus cespetosis, geniculis barbatis, collo ciliato, foliis scabris glaucis, paniculis paucifloris, femineis axillaribus; valva majore trinerva, aristaque ciliata.
Description. Roots, annual fibrous: stems many, unequal, rather procumbent at the base, next assurgent, rising one foot at utmost; they are geniculated, slender, brittle, weak, and smooth. The knees or joints are bearded, the sheaths are split, the neck ciliated, the leaves short, stiff, rough glaucous, linear acute, obscurely striated. The panicles have few flowers, particularly the female ones, which are axillary coarctated almost hidden, while the male are terminal and divaricate: some hermaphrodite flowers are occasionally, but seldom found among both panicles; they are all similar, differing only in the want of stamina or pistils. The valves of the exterior glumes are nearly equal oblong notched obtuse, mutic and oneneroed. The valvules or valves of the glumule (corolla or interior glume) are unequal, the largest is ciliated trinerve bifid, with a soft ciliated awl in the notch, as long as the valve: the small valve is ovate acute concave, very hairy on the back. The colour of the flower is reddish or pale red; but variable.
Observations. This plant is probably the aira purpurea of Walter, Pursh, Elliott, &c. but does not belong to that genus. It was found in Carolina, but I have found it on Long-Island, near Gravesend, Bath, Oyster-Bay, &c. on the sandy and gravelly sea-shore: it grows probably in the intermediate states. It blossoms in August and September, has no particular beauty, but a very singular appearance. The specific name of purpurea was improper, since the colour of the flowers is variable from whitish to red.
Art. IX. Floral Calendar, &c.
Art. IX. Floral Calendar, &c.
To the Editor of the American Journal of Science, &c.
Plainfield, October 17, 1818.
Sir,
Should the following calendar be thought worthy of a place in your Journal, you will please to insert it. Though very brief, it will show that vegetation is considerably later on the range of mountains, on which this place is situated, than in the level parts of our country.
Yours truly,
J. PORTER.
Floral Calendar for Plainfield, Massachusetts, 1818. By Jacob Porter.
March 13. Robins and bluebirds appear.
April 25. Claytonia in flower. A considerable part of the ground is covered with snow, which, in many places, is 2 or 3 feet deep.
April 27. Observed the claytonia, blue violet, strawberry, and a species of sedge, in blossom, at Worthington.
May 1. Hepatica, roundleaved violet, and erythronium in flower.
May 10. Chrysosplenium, or golden saxifrage, in flower.
May 15. The large trillium, or purple wakerobin, in flower.
May 18. Uvularia, or cellwort, and white violet, in flower.
May 19. A fall of snow, so that the ground at night was almost covered with it.
May 22. The beautiful coptis, or goldthread, in flower.
May 25. Ash and beech in flower.
May 26. Sugar-maple, viburnum, threeleaved arum, blue violet, small panax, prostrate mitella, fly honeysuckle, white berried gaultheria, and umbelled Solomon's seal, in flower.
June 17. Absent, since my last date, on a tour to New-York. Four other specimens of Solomon's seal, trientalis, azalea, 2 species of crowfoot, blue-eyed grass, medeola, moose-bush, and several species of vaccinium, in flower. The small trillium, or smiling wakerobin, sarsaparilla, and dentaria, blossomed during my absence.
June 22. Small enothera, 2 species of veronica, and the golden senecio, in flower.
June 23. Mountain ash, Norway potentilla, sanicle, and the lovely linnea in flower.
June 28. Prunella, and red and white clover, in flower.
June 29. Mitchella, in flower.
June 30. Yellow diervilla, in flower.
July 1. Climbing corydalis, in flower.
July 4. The fimbriate archis, and roundleaved pyrola, in flower.
July 5. Spiked epilobium, and roundleaved mallows, in flower.
July 6. Mullen, in flower.
July 7. Small geranium in flower.
July 8. Another species of epilobium, in flower.
August 18. Frost this morning.
ZOOLOGY.
