CYPERACEAE. 63 



6. S. pacificus Britton. Perennial by large rootstocks; stems 

 stout, sharply 3-angled with flat sides, scabrous above, 6-15 dm. 

 high; leaves equaling or exceeding the stem, rough-margined, 5-10 

 mm. wide, midvein prominent; involucral leaves 2-4, elongated, 

 erect, similar to those of the stem, often 3 cm. long; spikelets in a 

 dense, often compound terminal cluster of 6-20, ovoid-oblong, obtuse 

 or subacute, 16-24 mm. long, 8-10 mm. broad; scales ovate, brown, 

 puberulent, lacerate or 2-toothed, midvein excurrent into an at 

 length reflexed awn; bristles 1-6, shorter than the achenes, or none; 

 style 2-cleft; achene compressed, flat on the face, convex or with 

 a low ridge on the back, obovate-orbicular, dark brown, shining, 

 3 mm. long. (S. maritimus of the Bot. Cal., not L.) 



Common in marshes, especially in somewhat saline places, June- 

 October. 



7. S. microcarpus Presl. Perennial; stems 6-12 dm. high, rather 

 stout; leaves rough-margined, exceeding the stem; the longer in- 

 volucral leaves usually exceeding the inflorescence; umbel 1-2- 

 compound; spikelets 3-25 together in capitate clusters at the ends 

 of usually spreading raylets, ovoid-oblong, 3-4 mm. long, acute; 

 scales brown, with a green midvein, blunt or subacute; bristles 4, 

 barbed nearly or quite to the base, somewhat longer than the achene; 

 stamens 2; styles 2-cleft; achene oblong-obovate, nearly white, 

 plano-convex or with a low ridge on the back, pointed. 



Rather common in meadows and along streams in the pine belt 

 of all the mountains. Oak Knoll, near Pasadena, McClatchie. 



3. ELEOCHARIS R. Br. Spike-rush. 



Annual or perennial herbs, with simple, usually terete 

 stems, and leaves reduced to mere sheaths or the lower 

 rarely bearing a blade. Spikelets solitary, terminal, 

 erect, several-many-flowered, not subtended by an in- 

 volucre. Scales concave, spirally imbricated. Perianth 

 of 1-12 usually retrorsely barbed bristles, or sometimes 

 wanting. Stamens 2-3. Styles 2-cleft and achene 

 lenticular or biconvex, or 3-cleft and achene more or less 

 distinctly 3-angled. Base of the style persistent on the 

 summit of the achene, forming a terminal tubercle. 

 Styles 2-cleft; achenes lenticular. 



Annual with fibrous roots. 1. E. capitata. 



Perennial by horizontal rootstocks. 2. E. palustris. 

 Styles 3-cleft; achenes 3-angled or turgid. 



Stems filiform; spikelet compressed. 3. E. acicidaris. 

 Stems not filiform; spikelets not compressed. 



Tubercle not continuous with the achene. 4. E. montana. 



Tubercle continuous with the achene. 5. E. rostellata. 



1. E. capitata R. Br. Annual with fibrous roots; stems slender 

 or filiform, terete, 1-1.5 dm. high; upper sheath 1-toothed; spikelet 



