Eleocharis 



CYPERACEAE Fimbristylis 



usually of 6 (or 3-6) barbed hypogynous bristles: base of the style constricted or jointed 

 above the lenticular or triangular achene. Over 100 species, cosmopolitan; 10 in China. 

 (Greek: elos, a marsh, and charis, grace.) 



Key to the Species 



a. Culms capillary or slender, not septate. 



Culms capillary, 4-8 cm. high: spikelets 2-4 mm. long: achenes 



whitish, striate, with lengthwise ridges at the corners 1. 



Culms slender, 10-50 cm. high: spikelets 5-15 mm. long: achenes gray- 

 brown, smooth, without ridges. 

 Plant very slender: spikelets ovoid, 4-7 mm. long: styles 3-fid .. 

 Plant erect, rigid: spikelets cylindric, 10-15 mm. long: styles 2-fid. 

 aa. Culms stout, 40-60 cm. high, transversely septate; with edible tuberous 

 corms 



1. Eleocharis acicularis (L.) R. & S. ^€ft (Niu Mao Chang; Cow-hair Felt) (Mak. 

 F. 808). Mossy herb; fr. brown, VI; culms 2-8 cm. high. Eastern Asia; locally 

 in Che., Ki., Ku. Wet ground. 



2. Eleocharis afflata Steud. (H.F. 6: 629). Very slender, 2-4 dm. high; fr. brown, 

 V-X. Eastern Asia; locally in Che., Ku. Wet ground. 



3. Eleocharis palustris R. Br. rB£l"ffi (Chao Chen Lin; Water-needle Rush) (Mak.F. 

 809). Erect, rigid, 5-8 dm. high; fr. brown, VII-X. World-wide; locally in Che. 



Wet places. 



4. Eleocharis dulcis (Burm. f.) Trin. (E. plantagineaR. Br.) Ground Chestnut ^ 

 (Pi Ch'i) (Mak.F. 810; M.E. 1: 119). Stout, erect, 5-7 dm. high; fr. brown, VII- 

 XII; culms septate. Old World tropics; locally in An., Che., Ki., Ku. Cultivated 

 in flooded terraces. Fig. 462. 



8. Fimbristylis Vahl mm^M (P'iao Fu Ts'ao Shu) 

 Tufted, with basal Ivs. infl. various: spikelets with spirally imbricated scales: 

 hypogynous bristles none: style often fringed with hairs, the base constricted or jointed 

 above the compressed or lenticular achene. 125 species, in all warm regions; 40 in 

 China. (Latin: fimbria, fringe, and stilus, style, referring to the fringed style.) 



Key to the Species 



a. Culms with only one spikelet: styles 2-parted 1. F. nutans 



aa. Culms with numerous spikelets. 

 b. Styles 2-parted. 



Roots fibrous and annual 2. F. dichotoma 



Roots from a woody rhizome 3. F. rigidula 



bb. Styles 3-parted. 



Spikelets 5-6 mm. long and 1-2 mm. in diam., cylindric 4. F. complanata 



Spikelets 2-3 mm. long and nearly spherical 5. F. miliacea 



1. Fimbristylis nutans (Retz.) Vahl MfA^ (Lung Hsu Ts'ao; Dragon's-beard Grass) 

 (Be.F. 391). Slender, 2-5 dm. high; fls. and fr. brown, VII-IX. Southeastern 

 Asia to Australia; locally in An., Che., Ku. Wet ground. 



2. Fimbristylis dichotoma (L.) Vahl (F. annua (All.) R. &. S.; F. diphylla Vahl) 

 W$$W- (P'iao Fu Ts'ao; Waving Grass) (H.F. 6: 636; M.E. 1: 121). Erect, grass- 



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