CYPERACEAE 189 



obovoid, less than 1 mm. long, bluish, minutely papillose. [Isolepis cilkdifolia (Ell.) 

 Torr]. 



In pine lands, North Carolina to Florida and Alabama. Spring to fall. 



3. Stenophyllus coarctatus (Ell.) Britton. Leaves few ; blades bristle-like, glabrous 

 or nearly so ; sheaths bearded at the mouth : scapes tufted, filiform, about 30 cm. long, 

 arching," smooth : bracts of the involucre several, only one as long as the umbel or slightly 

 longer : spikelets several, linear-oblong, about 6 mm. long, sessile or short-peduncled, 10- 

 15-flowered : scales ovate, acutish, with reddish margins, ciliate near the apex : achenes 

 unequally 3-angled, the inner face broadest, about 1 mm. long, minutely papillose ; tubercle 

 a minute black tip. [Isolepis coardata (Ell. ) Torr.] 



In dry sandy soil, Georgia and Florida. Summer and fall. 



4. Stenophyllus Floridanus Britton. Leaves much surpassed by the scapes ; blades 

 filiform, erect, J as long as the scapes or shorter ; sheaths ciliate : scapes tufted, filiform, 

 10-20 cm. tall : spikelets linear or nearly so, 4-8 mm. long, about 1 mm. thick, acute, rich 

 brown, 4-10 sessile in dense terminal heads : scales ovate-lanceolate, about 1 mm. long, 

 keeled, each prolonged into a minute slightly spreading tip : achenes 3-angled, broadly 

 obovoid, pale. 



In high pine lands, southern Georgia and Florida. Summer. Watek-grass. 



5. Stenophyllus Stenophyllus (Ell.) Britton. Leaves numerous, overtopped by 

 the scape ; blades filiform or bristle-like, erect, bristly-ciliate : scapes densely tufted, 5-20 

 cm. tall, scabrous at least above : bracts of the involucre several, 3 or 4 much longer than 

 the rest, ciliate like the leaf-blades, the dilated bases never fimbriate : spikelets 4-8, sessile 

 in dense terminal heads, about 5-7 mm. long, 6-10-flowered : scales variable in length, 

 loosely imbricated, hispid on the 3-nerved keel, produced into a cuspidate tip : achenes 3- 

 angled, obovoid, about 1 mm. long, bluish white, transversely wrinkled ; tubercle minute, 

 persistent. [^Isolepis stenophylla (Ell.) Torr.] 



In dry sandy soil. North Carolina to Florida and Louisiana. Spring to fall. 



6. Stenophyllus Warei (Torr. ) Britton. Leaves shorter than the scape ; blades 

 bristle-like, channeled ; sheaths pectinately fringed at the mouth. Scapes densely tufted, 

 20-40 cm. tall, filiform, slightly flattened, smooth and glabrous : bracts of the involucre 

 3-4, about twice as long as the head, rigid, the broadly dilated bases fimbriate : spikelets 

 8-15 in a compact head, ovoid, 6-7 mm. long, 10-15-flowered : scales broad, mucronate, 

 ciliate-pubescent without : achenes 3-angled, obovoid, white, obscurely wrinkled ; tubercle 

 minute, dark-colored. [Isolepis IFam Torr. ] 



In dry sand, Florida. Spring to fall. 



13. PSILOCARYA Torr. 



Annual herbs, with fibrous roots, slender stems and ovoid or oblong, many-flowered 



terete spikelets in terminal and axillary, mostly compound umbels, the rays and raylets 



bracted at the base. Scales of the spikelets spirally imbricated, all fertile, deciduous. 



Flowers perfect. Perianth none. Stamens 1 or 2. Style enlarged at the base. Stigmas 2. 



Achene lenticular or biconvex, smooth or transversely wrinkled, capped by the persistent 



base of the style (tubercle), or nearly the whole style persistent as a beak. 



Scales of the spikelets acute or acuminate : tubercle less than % as long as the achene. 



1. P. nitens. 

 Scales of the spikelets blunt : tubercle over y^ as long as the achene. 2. P. corymhiformis. 



1. Psilocarya nitens (Vahl) Wood. Stems tufted, slightly angled, 7-40 cm. tall : 

 leaves sometimes overtopping the stem, sheathing at the base ; blades narrowly linear, 

 about 2 mm. wide, smooth, the midvein prominent : umbels mostly loose : spikelets ovoid, 

 4-6 mm. long, rather less than 2 mm. in diameter: scales brown, broadly ovate, thin, 1- 

 nerved, obtuse, acute or apiculate : achenes lenticular, nearly orbicular, nearly 1.5 mm. 

 long, light brown, strongly transversely wrinkled ; tubercle shorter than the achene-body, 

 subacute, 2-lobed at the base. 



In wet soil, near the coast, Long Island and Delaware to Florida and Texas. Summer and fall. 



2. Psilocarya corymbiformis Benth. Stems solitary or sparingly tufted, 2-7 dm. 

 tall, topped like the branches by a corymb : leaves several, mostly overtopped by the stems ; 

 blades more or less involute above the sheath, 2-6 cm. broad, attenuate : spikelets in lax 

 corymbs, oblong-ovoid, 6-10 mm. long, fully 2 mm. thick : scales brownish, narrowly 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate, thinner than in the preceding, blunt : achenes lenticular, sub- 

 orbicular, 0.5 mm. long, including the slightly decurrent tubercle, this nearly as long as 

 the body of the achene. 



In low pine lands, Georgia and Florida to Louisiana. Also in the West Indies. Spring to fall. 



