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CLAT^KE — TIIK CYPERAC^KAE OF COSTA KlCA, 455 



Spike inurli In'oader llian the stom; glumes momhranaroons, ofton 

 f^ecii (Ml du' keel; style 3-lkl. (Subgenus Et'eleocharts.) 

 Nut costatt'leiigniwiso; transvcrst'lybarn-d liotwcrn the t'(>.^tii'' 



(AcicuLAREs) .■ 7: E. acicidaru 



Nut rau<*i^llate, liardly costate lengthwise (Chaktakiak) S. _B. chaetaria. 



Nut smooth, or (»l)K<'nn4y reticulate, not cuncf^llatr iLeiocaii- 



PK'AE). 



/ 



Stems slender, or at h^ast not stout. 

 AnnuaLs, tufted; nut white. 



Stems c^apillary or setaceous 9. E. vnnima. 



Stems slender, 4-angled 10. E. durondH. 



Rhizoniatous. 



Spike narrower at summit; nut whiie 11, E. sulcata. 



Spike obovoid ; nut tawny 12. E, pavhijsfyla. 



Stems 3 to 8 mm. in diameter, fals(» septate 13, E, geniculata, 



1. Eleocharis mutata R. Br. Prod. FL Nov. Hoi. 224. ISIO. 

 Scirpus vivtatus L. Amoen. Acad. 5: 39L. 17C0. 

 Limnochloa mutaia Nees, Linnaea 9: 294. 1834. 



Distrieution: From Mexico to T>uguay; (piite t-omrnon in the West Indies and 



tropical America generally. 

 Costa Rican collection: Linion, Pittu'r 10342. 



2. Eleocharis variegata PresI in Oken, Isis 21: 2<>0. I82S. 

 T)iSTRini'Tn)N: Mascan^ne Tshmds. 



2a, Eleocharis variegata laxiflora Pvidh^y, Jo\irn. Singapore Asiat. Sue. 23: 14. 



1891. 

 Scirpus laxlfiorns Thwaites, Enum. PL Z(^yl. 435. bS(>l. 



Svirpus plkarlmUs Griseb. Cat. PI. Cub. 239. 1800. 



Distribution: In southeastern Asia, frequ(^nt; more sparingly in Oceania and 



Central America. 

 Costa Rk^an collection: Buenos Aires, altitude 200 meters, rUtier 10593. 



3. Eleocharis ochreata (Grisebach) Nees; C B. Clarke in lTrl>. Symb. Antill. 2: 



03. 1900. 

 Chactonj perns poly niorplius Nees, Linnaea 9: 289. 1834, in part, nomen nudum. 



Eleocharis ochreaius Nees, op. cit. 294, nonuai nudum. 



Scirpuii ochnatus Gris(4). FL Brit. West Ind. 570. 1804. 



Ileleocharis iahivaijinala Boeckl. VicU-nsk. Mcddel. Kjol). 133. 1809-70; Linnaea 36: 



430. 1870. 

 n. pittieri Boeckl. Allgem. Bot. Zeitschr. 2: 35. 1890. 

 Distribution: Warmer parts (tf America common; in the Old Worhl leas so, but 



in several varieties. 

 Costa Ricax collection: San Jose, altitude 1,100 meters, Pittier 548. 



4. Eleocharis olivacea Torr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. 3: 300. 1S36. 



Stems 5 to 10 cm. long; sheath scarious at summit, loose, crisped, easily worn off; 

 spikelet 5 to 8 mm. long; 7 to 30-flowered; style bifid; nut obovoid, plano-convex. 

 oliv(^-green, becoming tawny chestnut colored, smootli, obsoletely reticulate; style 

 base small, bulbous-conical.— Rootstock slender. Spikelet ovoid, acutish. llypo- 

 gynous bristles 7, or .sometim(\s 0, or even 3 only, surpa.^sing tlu^ nut. 



Distribution: From Canada to Florida and Colorado sparingly; Costa ili<-a. 



Costa RiCAN collections: La Palma. altitude 1,500 to 1,800 meter?=, Toivhfz,mS)l . 



Species rather closely allied to E. ochreata, Nees; differing by ils firmer texture. 



5. Eleocharis capitata R. Br. Prod. Fl. Nov. IIolL 225. 1810. 

 Sdrjnis caribaeas Rottb. Descr. iSc Ic. 40. pi. -/5./. -1. 1773. 

 Scirpas cupitaUisL. Sp. PL 1: IS. 1753, in part. 



