236 COMMELINACEAE 



colors, woolly. Staminate flowers : sepals 2-3 ; petals 2 or 3, each furnished with a gland 



above the middle ; stamens usually 4-6 ; filaments distinct ; anthers 2-celled. Pistillate 



flowers : sepals as in the staminate flowers : petals much reduced and narrow: stamens 



wanting : styles 2-3. Capsule thin-walled. Pipewort. 



Sheath at the base of the scape surpassing the leaves, except in the case of submerged plants. 

 Petals linear : filaments ciliate. 1. E.Uneare. 



Petals broader : filaments glabrous. 



Receptacle silky-pubescent. 2. E. Texense. 



Receptacle glabrous. 



Heads about 3 mm. in diameter : sepals of the staminate flowers merely 



glandular at the apex. 3. E. Kdrnickianum. 



Pleads 0-15 mm. in diameter : sepals ciliate. 



Bractlets acute : scapes 4-7-ridged : heads gray, less than 8 mm. thick 



at maturity. 4. E. septangulare. 



Bractlets obtus'e : scapes 10-12-ridged : heads white, over 10 mm. in 



diameter. 5. E. compressum. 



Sheath at the base of the scape surpassed by the leaves, or some of them. 



Heads 10-16 mm. thick: bractlets, sepals and petals ciliate : bractlets acute. 6. E. decangulare. 

 Heads 3-5 mm. thick : bractlets, sepals and petals glabrous : bractlets obtuse. 7. E. Ravenelii. 



1. Eriocaulon linekre Small. Leaves spreading ; blades 2-5 cm. long, alternate, 

 curved, sparingly pubescent or almost glabrous : scapes deep green, very slender, 1-3 dm. 

 tall, 3-o-ridged : sheath surpassing the leaves : heads somewhat depressed, 5-6 mm. broad : 

 bracts of the involucre rhombic, acute, pubescent near the tip : bractlets fimbriate-ciliate 

 at the apex : sepals mainly spatulate : petals, at least those of the staminate flowers, linear, 

 ciliate all around : filaments ciliate. 



In wet woods, eastern Georgia. Spring and summer. 



2. Eriocaulon Tex6nse Korn. Leaves spreading ; blades very narrowly linear- 

 attenuate, 2-7 cm. long, thin, glabrous, more or less involute : scapes straw-colored, very 

 slender, 1-4 dm. tall, 5-6-ridged ; sheath surpassing the leaves: heads globular, 4-5.5 

 mm. broad : bracts of the involucre obovate, acute, glabrous : receptacle silky : bractlets 

 oblong-cuneate to obovate, pubescent without and fimbriate-ciliate at the apex : sepals 

 broadened upward, fimbriate at the apex : petals ovate or oval ciliate-fimbriate : filaments 

 glabrous. 



In wet soil, or moist pine lands, Florida and Texas, Summer. 



3. Eriocaulon Kbrnickianum Von Heurck & Muell. Arg. Leaves spreading : 

 blades 1.5-2.5 cm. long, pellucid : scapes 10-15 cm. tall, very slender, 2-3-ridged : sheath 

 surpassing the leaves : heads about 3 mm. in diameter : bracts of the involucre recurved 

 at maturity : receptacle glabrous : sepals, at least those of the staminate flowers, glabrous 

 but black glandular at the apex : petals pilose-ciliate above. 



In low grounds, eastern Texas. Summer. 



4. Eriocaulon septangulare With. Leaves spreading ; blades 2-6 cm. long, or 

 longer in submerged plants, permanently pellucid : scapes 3-40 dm. tall, 4-7-ridged : 

 sheath surpassing the leaves : heads spheroidal, less than 8 mm. thick : petals of the stam- 

 inate flowers ovate or oval, ciliate all around : seeds oblong. 



In still water, Newfoundland to Minnesota, Florida and Texas. Also in Europe. Summer and 

 fall. 



5. Eriocaulon compr6ssum Lam. Leaves ascending-spreading ; blades 2-12 cm. 

 long, longitudinally striate and not pellucid at maturity, acute : scapes 2-10 dm. tall, 10- 

 12-ridged : sheath surpassing the leaves : heads spheroidal, over 10 mm. thick : petals of 

 the staminate flowers ciliate-fimbriate at the apex as above the middle : seeds oval. 



In still water or swampy places. New Jersey to Florida and Texas. Spring to fall. 



6. Eriocaulon decangulare L. Leaves erect or ascending ; blades 10-50 cm. long, 

 not pellucid but rather firm, finely many-striate, obtuse: scapes stout, 3-10 dm. tall, 10-14- 

 ridged : sheath surpassed by the leaves : heads globular, 10-16 mm. thick : bracts of the 

 involucre acute : bractlets, sepals and petals ciliate or pubescent on the back. 



In swamps and low grounds, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to Florida and Texas. Spring to fall. 



7. Eriocaulon Ravenelii Chapm. Leaves various, the smaller spreading, the larger 

 ascending or erect ; blades 2-13 cm. long, pellucid, attenuate-acute : scapes very slender, 

 4-30 cm. tall, 5-6-ridged : sheath surpassed by the leaves : heads spheroidal, 3-5 mm. 

 thick : bracts of the involucre obtuse : bractlets, sepals and petals glabrous. 



In wet soil, South Carolina to Florida. Summer and winter. 



Family 4. COMMELINACEAE Reichenb. Spiderwort Family. 



Annual or mostly perennial succulent herbs, with fibrous or tuberous-thick- 

 ened roots and erect or creeping stems. Leaves alternate, often with sheathing 



