MONOCOTYLEDONS. 



19 



5. CYPERACEiE. SEDGE FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs ; grass-like or rush-like ; stems 

 mostly 3-angled, solid, leaves 3-ranked, grass-like, with closed 

 sheaths ; flowers in spikes or spikelets, perfect or imperfect, 



Fig. 212. — Inflorescence, Flower and Seed of a Sedge. 

 ((Jreut Bulru.sh, Scirpus lacustris.) 

 1, magnified flower, surrounded by a perianth of hypogjyious bristles ; 2, the 

 seed ; 3, section of the seed, showing the small endjryo enclosed in the 

 base of the albunien. 



each in the axil of a scale-like bract ; periantli often a row of 

 minute scales or bristles ; stamens usually 3 ; ovary 1-celled, 

 style 2-3-cleft or rarely simple ; fruit a flattened or 3-angled 

 achene. 



