CYPERACEAE. 173 



2. Psilocarya scirpoides (Torr.) LONG-BEAKED BALD-RUSH. (I. F. f. 602.) 

 Similar to the preceding species. Umbels commonly more numerous ; spikelets 

 oblong or ovoid-oblong ; achene nearly orbicular in outline, biconvex, not as flat 

 as that of P. nitens, dark brown, faintly transversely wrinkled or smooth, sometimes 

 longitudinally striate, slightly contracted at the base into a short stipe ; tubercle 

 subulate, as long as the achene or sometimes longer, its base decurrent on the 

 edges. In wet soil. E. Mass, and R. I. July-Sept. 



7. STENOPHYLLUS Raf. 



Mostly annual sedges, with slender erect culms, leafy below, the leaves nar- 

 rowly linear or filiform, with ciliate or pubescent sheaths. Spikelets umbellate, 

 capitate or solitary, subtended by a i-several-leaved involucre, their scales spirally 

 imbricated all around, mostly deciduous. Flowers perfect. Perianth none. 

 Stamens 2 or 3. Style 2-3-cleft, glabrous, its base much swollen and persistent as 

 a tubercle on the achene as in Eleocharis. Achene 3 -angled, turgid or lenticular. 

 [Greek, referring to the narrow leaves.] A genus of some 20 species, natives of 

 temperate and warm regions. Besides the following, 5 others occur in the southern 

 United States. 



I. Stenophyllus capillaris (L.) Britton. HAIR-LIKE STENOPHYLLUS. (I. F. 

 f. 603.) Annual; roots fibrous; culms filiform, densely tufted, erect, grooved, 

 smooth, 5-25 cm. tall. Leaves roughish, much shorter than the culm, their 

 sheaths more or less pubescent with long hairs; involucral leaves 13, setaceous; 

 spikelets narrowly oblong, somewhat 4-sided, 5-8 mm. long, less than 2 mm. thick, 

 several in a terminal umbel, or in depauperate forms solitary; scales oblong, 

 obtuse or emarginate, puberulent, dark brown with a green keel; stamens 2; style 

 3 -cleft; achene yellow-brown, narrowed at the base, very obtuse or truncate at the 

 summit, 0.5 mm. long, transversely wrinkled; tubercle minute, depressed. In 

 dry or moist soil, throughout N. Am. except the extreme north. Also in tropical 

 America. July-Sept. 



8 FIMBRISTYLIS Vahl. 



Annual or perennial sedges. Culms leafy below. Spikelets umbellate or capi- 

 tate, terete, several to many-flowered, subtended by a i-many-leaved involucre, 

 their scales spirally imbricated all around, mostly deciduous, all fertile. Perianth 

 none. Stamens 1-3. Style 2-3-cleft, pubescent or glabrous, its base much en- 

 larged, falling away from the summit of the achene at maturity. Achene lenticu- 

 lar, biconvex, or 3 -angled, reticulated, cancellate, or longitudinally ribbed or stri- 

 ate in our species. [Greek, in allusion to the fringed style of some species.] A 

 large genus, the species widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Be- 

 sides the following, some 4 others occur in the southern and western parts of North 

 America. 



Style 2-cleft ; achene lenticular or biconvex. 



Culms 0.2-0.9 m - t a H > spikelets umbellate ; style mostly pubescent. 

 Perennial ; leaves involute. 



Scales coriaceous, shining, glabrous. i. F. spadicea. 



Scales membranous, dull, puberulent. 2. P. castanea. 



Annual ; roots fibrous ; leaves flat. 3. F. laxa. 



Culms 2-10 cm. tall, very slender ; spikelets capitate ; style glabrous below. 



4. F. Vahlii. 

 Style 3-cleft ; achene 3-angled. 



Umbel mostly compound ; spikelets narrow, acute, mostly peduncled ; achene nearly 

 or quite smooth. 5. F. autumnalfs. 



Umbel mostly simple ; spikelets plump, obtuse, mostly capitate and sessile ; achene 

 distinctly reticulated. 6. F. Frankii. 



i. Fimbristylis spadicea (L.) Vahl. STIFF FIMBRISTYLIS. (I. F. f. 604.) 

 Perennial by a thickened base, glabrous; culms slender. 3-angled, wiry, 3-9 dm. 

 tall, usually longer than the strongly involute rigid leaves. Leaves about 2 mm. 

 wide when unrolled, their sheaths dark brown; leaves of the involucre 3-6, erect; 

 umbel several-rayed, the rays nearly erect, 5-15 cm. long; central spikelets of 

 the umbels an d umbellets sessile, the others pedicelled ; spikelets ovoid or ovoid 



