Fig. 214: Cyperus brevifolius: a, habit, X 1; b, scale, X 30; c, achene, X 25. 

 (Courtesy of R. K. Godfrey). 



Infrequent in fresh or subsaline or gypseous mud in water on edge of canals 

 and streams, and wet sandy flats, in the Tex. Trans-Pecos, and Ariz. (Pima. Yuma, 

 Mohave and Cochise cos.), Feb.-Oct.; widely distributed in warm-temp, and trop. 

 regions. 

 2. Cyperus brevifolius (Rottb.) Hassk. Fig. 214. 



Perennial with creeping branching reddish-brown rhizomes to 20 cm. long and 

 1-2 mm. thick; flowering culms rising from the rhizomes 3-10 mm. apart, 4-20 

 (-38) cm. long. 0.4-1 mm. thick; leaves with sheaths 5-30 mm. long and mem- 

 branous; flaccid blades 1-3 (-10) cm. long, 1-3 mm. broad, mostly much shorter 

 than the culms except when the latter are dwarfed; inflorescence a single roundish 

 seemingly simple congested head 4-6 mm. long and broad, with 38 to 100 spike- 

 lets; bracts 3 (or 4), the longest one usually nearly vertical or ultimately reflexed, 

 membranous, 15-120 mm. long, 1-2 mm. broad; spikelets each deciduous as a 

 unit, 2-2.9 mm. long, 0.8-1.1 mm. broad, about 0.3 mm. thick, sordid- or buffy- 

 whitish or very pale-brownish, with 2 scales, the lower one enclosing a fertile 

 floret, the upper empty, the single short internode with very broad hyaline wings 

 clasping the achene and continuous with the lower part of the higher scales; 

 scales persistent (the lower one 1.9-2.4 mm. long), with green keels and translu- 

 cent sides, each side with a couple of inconspicuous well-distributed nerves; 

 stamens 1 (very rarely 2 in isolated spikelets, never many on the same head), at 

 the abaxial angle of the achene; stigmas 2; achene lenticular with an adaxial angle 



422 



