Coix GRAMINEAE-CYPERACEAE Carex 



the orifice of the bony involucre of the pistillate spikelets; staminate spikelets 2-3-nate ; 

 one sessile; the other 1-2-pedicelled, on a slender continuous rachis forming a short 

 spike; pistillate spikelets 2-3 together; one fertile; the other 1-2 rudimentary, enclosed 

 in a bony bead-like involucre (morphologically a subtending leaf-sheath). About 10 

 species, mostly in tropical Asia; one in China. (Greek: koix, a kind of palm, applied 

 by Linnaeus to this plant.) 



1. Coix lacryma-jobi Linn. Job's Tears ^CK (I I) (Hitch. 790). Culms 1.0-1.5 m. 

 high; fls. and fr. VII-X. Tropical and temperate countries; locally in An., Che., 

 Ku. Moist ground, waste places and cultivated. 



92. Zea Linn. 3£fj^M (Yii Shu Ch'u Shu) 



Tall monoecious annuals with male infl. in a terminal panicle or tassel of several 

 to many racemose spikes; and female infl. in a sheathed axillary ear with long styles 

 protruding from the top of it as a silky mass of threads: staminate spikelets binate at 

 each node of a continuous rachis; one sessile, the other pedicelled; pistillate spikelets 

 sessile, densely crowded in many vertical series on a cylindric spongy rachis. One 

 species, widely cultivated. (Greek: zea or zeia, a kind of grain.) 



1. Zea mays Linn. Corn. Maize ZE1Tj|§ (Yii Shu Ch'u; White Jade Millet) (Hitch. 

 794). Culms 1-4 m. high; fls. VIII; fr. IX. Cultivated throughout tropical and 

 temperate zones; locally in An., Che., Ki., Ku., Hun., Hup., Hon. Cultivated 

 fields. Fig. 458. 



179. CYPERACEAE Sedge Family 3^.Pt (So Ts'ao K'o) 



Grass-like or rush-like herbs with fibrous roots and mostly solid jointed 3-anglcd 

 stems: stem Ivs., when present, 3-ranked, ivith closed sheaths: fls. small, in spikelets; 

 each fl. in the axil of a glume-like imbricated bract: perianth none, or of bristles or 

 scales; stamens 2 or 3; anthers basifixed: fr. an achene. 75 genera with over 3,000 

 species, in all parts of the world; 25 genera and 335 species in China. Complete and 

 fully mature specimens will be required for the study of this difficult family. 



Key to the Genera 



A. Fls. unisexual; plants monoecious. 



Achene enclosed in a sac (perigynium): fls. several to many in the 



fertile spikelets 1 . Carex 



Achene borne on a scale, not enclosed: fls. few in each spikelet .. 2. Sclerin 

 AA. Fls. bisexual. 



B. Fig. scales many (except in Kyllinga). 



C. Scales of the spikelets in two ranks (distichous): fls. without 

 hypogynous bristles: achenes not beaked. 

 D. Spikelets of 3 or 4 scales, crowded into dense heads .... 3. Kyllinga 

 DD. Spikelets of many scales, variously clustered, but not in 

 heads. 



Style 2-parted 4 . Pycreus 



Style 3-parted. 



Rachilla of the spikelet persistent 5. Cyperus 



Rachilla of the spikelet deciduous 6. Mariscus 



CC. Scales of the spikelets spirally arranged. 



E. Style-base constricted or jointed above the achene. 



488 



