SEDGE FAMILY 



257 



3. Cyperus unioloides R. Br. 



Uniola-like Cyperus. Fig. 610. 



Cyperus unioloides R. Br. Prodr. 1: 216. 1810. 



Perennial by slender rootstocks ; culms rather slender, 

 5-8 dm. tall. Leaves mostly shorter than the culm, 2-4 mm. 

 wide, those of the involucre 3-5, one of them usually mucli 

 exceeding the inflorescence ; rays of the umbel 2-8, about 

 10 cm. long or less, sometimes very short and the inflores- 

 ence almost glomerate ; spikelets short-spicate, lanceolate to 

 ovate-lanceolate, many-flowered, 12-18 mm. long, about 5 

 mm. wide, flat, acute ; scales yellow, shining, ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, acute, appressed ; achene obovate, short-pointed, 

 nearly black, its superficial cells subquadrate. 



Cienega, Upper Sonoran Zone, Los Angeles County, California; 

 also Mexico, Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola, continental tropical Amer- 

 ica, South Africa, tropical Asia, and Australia. Type locality: pre- 

 sumably Australia. 



4. Cyperus laevigatus L. 

 Smooth Cyperus. Fig. 611. 



Cyperus laevigatas L. Mant. 1: 179. 1771. 



Perennial by horizontal rootstocks ; culms glabrous, erect, 

 1-6 dm. high, trigonous above. Basal leaves sheathing, 2-4 mm. 

 wide, sometimes as long as the culm, usually much shorter, some- 

 times reduced to sheaths, those of the involucre 1 or 2, when 

 solitary erect, usually much exceeding the spikelets, spikelets one 

 to many, sessile, appearing lateral, 6-12 mm. long, 2-3 mm. wide, 

 compressed, linear-oblong, many-flowered ; scales ovate, obtuse, 

 brown or nearly white ; achene plano-convex, brown, elliptic to 

 obovate, dorsally flattened, 1.5-2 mm. long. 



Moist or wet soil, Sonoran Zones; California, north to Santa Clara and 

 Inyo Counties; also Mexico, tropical America and Old World tropics. Type 

 locality: Cape of Good Hope. 



5. Cyperus inflexus ]\Iuhl. 

 Awned Cyperus. Fig. 612. 



Cyperus iiifle.vus Muhl. Gram. 16. 1817. 



Annual; culms slender or almost filiform, tufted, 

 about equaled by the leaves. Leaves 2 mm. wide or less, 

 those of the involucre 2-3, exceeding the umbel ; umbel 

 sessile, capitate, or 1-3-rayed ; spikelets linear-oblong, 

 6-10-flowered, 4-6 mm. long ; scales light brown, lanceo- 

 late, rather, firm, strongly several-nerved, tapering into 

 a long recurved awn, falling from the rachis at 

 maturity; stamen 1; style 3-cleft ; rachis winged, the 

 wings persistent ; achene 3-angled, brown, dull, narrowly 

 obovoid or oblong, obtuse, mucronulate. 



In wet, sandy soil, Sonoran and Transition Zones; southern 

 California to British Columbia, east across the continent to 

 Florida and New Brunswick. Included by authors in C. aristatus 

 Rottb. Type locality: Pennsylvania. 



