TYPHACEAE. 13 



SUB-CLASS I. MONOCOTYLEDONES. 



Embryo of the seed with but a single cotyledon, that is 

 with the first leaves of the germinating plantlet alternate; 

 stem composed of a mass of soft tissue in which the woody 

 bundles appear in cross section to be irregularly imbedded, 

 there being no distinction into bark, wood and pith; 

 leaves usually parallel-veined, mostly alternate and entire, 

 commonly sheathing the stem at the base and often with 

 no distinction of blade and petiole; parts of the flowers 

 mostly in threes. 



Family 9. TYPHACEAE. CAT TAIL FAMILY. 



Marsh or aquatic herbs with creeping rootstocks and linear 

 flat sheathing leaves; stems erect, terete; flowers monoecious, 

 densely crowded in terminal spikes which are subtended by 

 spathaceous bracts; ovary one, 1-2-celled, with as many per- 

 sistent styles ; fruit nutlike. 



22. TYPHA. 



Flowers in a dense cylindrical spike; staminate and pistillate 

 portions of the spike contiguous; stamens with very short con- 

 nate filaments, mixed with numerous long hairs; ovary long- 

 stalked, 1 -celled, surrounded by numerous bristles and rudi- 

 mentary ovaries; fruit minute, usually splitting on one side. 



Typha latifolia L. Cat-tail. Stout, 1-3 m. tall; leaves flat, sheathing at 

 base, 1-2 cm. wide; pistillate and staminate portions of the spike close to- 

 gether, each 8-30 cm. long, the pistillate dark brown; stigmas rhombic- 

 spatulate; pollen grains in fours. In shallow water, not rare. 



Family 10. SPARGANIACEAE. BUR-REED FAMILY. 



Marsh or pond herbs with creeping rootstocks and erect or 

 floating stems; leaves linear, alternate, 2-ranked, sessile, sheath- 

 ing at the base; flowers monoecious, densely crowded into 

 globose heads which are in a raceme on the upper parts of the 

 stem and branches, the staminate above; spathes linear ; perianth 

 of a few chaffy scales; stamens usually 5; fruit mostly 1 -celled, 

 nut-like. 



23. SPARGANIUM. BUR REED. 



Characters of the family. 



