Eleocharis. | CLVI. CYPERACEE (CLARKE). 405 
at least towards the top of the spike ; the lower glumes sometimes sub- 
distichous. Hypogynous bristles 3-9 or 0, in many species only 
sometimes present, in some species never seen, Stamons 3-1, anterior ; 
anthers linear-oblong, muticous. Style 2-3-fid, constant for each of 
our species except in the subgenus Limnochloa, glabrous; style-base 
enlarged, persistent, distinct from the nut by a constriction or a hori- 
zontal line. Nut trigonous or biconvex, according as the style-branches 
are 3 or 2.—Glabrous, leafless. Stem with 1, apparently terminal, 
spikelet (sometimes proliferous at the base with a second spikelet). 
Spikelet bractless, ie. the lowest empty glume hardly different from the 
fertile glumes. 
Species 118, distributed nearly throughout the world, prevalent in America. 
*“LIMNOCHLOA.— Flower-glumes hardly keeled, 4—j in. long. Robus’, stoloniferous 
plants, 
Stem transversely septate; nut not cancellate . 
Stem not transversely septate ; nut cancellate. 
Stem nearly terete at the top ; hypogynous bristles 
depauperate ° . . - : 
Stem acutely triquetrous; hypogynous bristles 
fully developed 2 c : : 
**ELEOGENUS.—Glumes 1-3-nerved on the keel. Style 2-fid. 
Annuals ; plants rather slender. 
Hypogynous bristles white, sometimes small or 0 4, Z. atropurpurea. 
Hypogynous bristles ferruginous or brown . 5. £. capitata, 
Stouter plant, with stolons : 6. E. palustris. 
*Ep-ELEOCHARIS.—Glumes 1-3-nerved on the keel. Styles 3-fid. 
Nut cancellate or strongly reticulate . 7. £. chataria. 
Nut smooth, not cancellate. 
Annuals ; slender plants. 
Spikelets loosely few-flowered, compressed ; 
lower glumes subdistichous : 4 
Spikelets very densely flowered, subterete ; 
glumes spirally many-ranked. 
Hypogynous bristles 0. 
Nut very much narrowed at the top; style- 
1, E. plantaginea, 
2. E. mitrata. 
3. #. fistulosa. 
8. EF. Trilophus. 
base small. 
Stems slender, subquadrangular . . 9. KB. Hildebrandt. 
Stems stouter, subcompressed . . 10. #, complanata, 
Nut slightly narrower at the top; style- 
; . 11. &. anceps. 
base large . : . meeps 
Hypogynous bristles 7, longer than the nut . 12. E. Kirkii. 
Hypogynous bristles 3-5, shorter than the 
nut . . 13. H. microcarpo 
Rhizome present; stouter plant cften 12-18 
in, long . - ‘ : ‘ . 14. BE. marginulata. 
1. E. plantaginea, 2. Br. Prodr. 224 in note. Glabrous. Stolons 
long, it in. in diam. Stems 16-30 in. long, }-} in. in diam., terete, 
when dry transversely septate. Spikelet 1, 1 by {-{ in., straw- 
coloured. Glumes nearly } in. long, suberect, obovate, obtuse. 
Hypogynous bristles 7, often as long as the nut, retrorsely scabrous, 
