Cyperus Cyperaceae 189 



kinds of habitats. Probably most abundant along ditches and in corn- 

 fields. 



Maine, Ont. to Minn., southw. to Fla. and Tex. 



13a. Cyperus strigosus var. multiflorus Geise. This form was de- 

 scribed by Geise in Amer. Midland Nat. 15: 253. 1934. I collected speci- 

 mens in the dried-up mucky soil on the south side of Lake Cicott, Cass 

 County, in 1931 and 1932 which were years of severe drought. I also 

 found a few specimens in a similar habitat on the border of an extinct 

 lake about 2 miles north of North Liberty, St. Joseph County. The domi- 

 nant associate was Cyperus ferruginescens. This plant is conspicuous and 

 can be distinguished from any other Cyperus at a long distance. After a 

 careful study of this form, it seems to me that it is a hybrid of Cyperus 

 strigosus and Cyperus ferruginescens. The plants (2.5-15 cm high) are 

 too small for Cyperus strigosus, and the spikelets have about twice the 

 number of flowers that average plants of that species have. The cormlike 

 base is a character of Cyperus strigosus but the terete, reddish brown 

 spikelets belong to Cyperus ferruginescens. 



14. Cyperus erythrorhizos Muhl. Map 355. Infrequent throughout the 

 state but usually common where it is found. It is generally found on the 

 muddy shores of streams, in dried-up sloughs, and along ditches. 



Mass. to Minn., southw. to Fla., Tex., and Calif. 



15. Cyperus ferruginescens Boeckl. (Rhodora 37: 148-150. 1935.) 

 (Cyperus speciosus Vahl, in part, of most recent authors.) Map 356. In- 

 frequent to frequent throughout the state. It grows in moist, wet, muddy 

 or mucky soils of almost all kinds. 



Mass. to Minn., southw. probably to Fla. and Tex. 



16. Cyperus esculentus L. (Including Cyperus esculentus var. lepto- 

 stachyus Boeckl.) Chufa. Map 357. Rather frequent in southern Indiana, 

 becoming infrequent to rare in the northern part. This species prefers 

 moist or wet, rich soil and is found along streams and in cultivated fields 

 and truck gardens. I have seen it in dried-up sloughs where it formed 

 complete stands. We allowed it to grow unmolested in our arboretum of 

 about 3 acres before we knew of its weedy nature and we have been trying 

 to exterminate it for about 10 years but still find a plant occasionally. I 

 have noted it as a pernicious weed in truck gardens, especially along the 

 Ohio River. The tubers are sweet and edible. They have been used as 

 food since ancient times, having been found in Egyptian tombs dating 

 back to 2400 years before Christ. 



The species is extremely variable in the size of its spikelets. Plants 

 with long spikelets have been named but I think they are a result of 

 nutrition and should not receive taxonomic names. It is to be noted that 

 plants with small inflorescences rarely mature more than a few seed 

 while plants with large inflorescences usually mature many seed. 



N. B. to Minn., Nebr., and Alaska, southw. to Fla., Tex., and Calif. ; also 

 found in the tropics; Eurasian. 



