Glu.males.] 



RESTIACE.E. 



121 



ORDER XXXII. RESTIACE^.— CoRDLEAFs. 



Restiacese, R. Brown, Prodr. 243. QSIO) ; Kiotth in Hitmb. N. G. et Sp. 1. 251. (1815) ; Agardh Aph. 

 156. (1823) a ^ of Junceae ; Nees v. Escnbeck, in Linnceu, 5. G27. (1830' at 7. 614. (1832) ; Endl. 

 Gen. xlv. ; Meisner, Gtn.p.iOB; Kunth Enum. 3. 381.— Elegiese, Bcauv. in eod. loc. 182S). 



Diagnosis. — Glumal Endogens, with al-^-celled ovary, a pendulous ovide, 2-3 stamens, 

 l-celled anthers, and terminal embryo. 



Herbaceous plants or under-slirubs. Leaves simple, narrow, or none. Culms naked, 

 or more usually protected by sheaths, which are slit, and have ecjuitant mai'gins. Flowers 

 generally aggi-egate, in spikes or heads, separated by bracts, and most frequently imi- 

 sexual. Glumes 2-6, seldom wanting. Stamens 2 to 3, attached to 4 or 6 glumes and 

 opposite the innermost ; anthers usually unilocular and peltate. Ovary I- or more- 

 celled, cells monospermous ; styles or stigmata never 

 fewer than 2, although the ovary be l-celled ; and 

 other\\'ise equal ui number to the cells of the ovary ; 

 ovules pendulous. Fruit capsular, or nucamentaceous. 

 Seeds inverted ; albumen of the same figm-e as the 

 seed ; embryo lenticular, on the outside of the albu- 

 men, at that end of the seed which is most remote 

 from the hilum. 



According to Brown, the principal character dis- 

 tinguishing this order from Rushes and Sedges 

 consists in its pendulous seed and lenticular 

 embryo placed at the extremity of the seed 

 opposite to the umbihcus. From Rushes it also 

 differs in the order of suppression of its stamina, 

 which, when reduced to 3, are opposite to the inner 

 glumes ; and most of its genera are distinguishable 

 from both these Orders, as well as from Commehna- 

 ceae, by their simple or unilocular anthers. — {Flin- 

 ders, 579.) But in tinith it is essentially distinguished 

 from the order of Rushes by its glumaceous flowers, 

 as well as by the characters already named. If the 

 glumes are absent, it is then only to be known from 

 Sedges by the pendulous ovules, terminal embryo, 

 and by the sheaths of its leaves being slit. The tri- 

 petaloid flower and polyspemious fruit of Xyris, a 

 genus formerly referred here, are characters indicat- 

 ing a far superior degree of evolution, and sufficient 

 to separate it as the representative of a pecuUar or- 

 der ; a measvire which Brown anticipated when he 

 remarked {Prodr. 244.), that the genus Xp'is, al- 

 though placed by him at the end of Restiaceee, is certainly very different from the other 

 genera, in the inner segments of the perianth being petaloid, with the stamens proceed- 

 Log from the top of their ungues, and in its numerous seeds. Pipeworts are kno-wTi 

 by their ha^^ng a membranous sheath between the glumes and ovary, and thus indicat- 

 ing an approach to the petaloid Orders, especially to Xyrids. 



All are extra-Em-opean, and chiefly fovmd in the woods and marshes of South America, 

 New Holland, and southern Africa. They have not been found in America. 



The tough wii'y stems of some species are manufactured into baskets and brooms. Will- 

 denowia teres is employed for the latter pm'pose, and Restio tectorum for thatching. 



Fig. LXXXI. 



Rhodocoma, Nees. 

 Leptocarpus, R. Br. 

 Loxocarya, R. Br. 

 Chsetanthus, R. Br. 

 Hypolaena, R. Br. 



CuculUfera, Nees. 

 Dovea, Kth. 



GENERA 



Willdenowia, Thunb 

 Ncmutanthu.1, Nee 

 llypodiscus, Nees. 

 Leucoplocus, Nees. 

 Mesanthus, Nees. 

 Anthochortus, Nees. 

 Ceratocaryum, Nees. 



Lepidanthus, Nees. 

 Anarthria, R. Br. 

 Lyginia, R. Br. 

 Lepyrodia, R. Br, 

 Thamnochortus, Berg. 

 Staberoha, Kunth. 

 Elegia, Thunb. 



Chondropetalum, Rottb. 

 Restio, Linn. 



Calorophus, Labill. 

 Calopsis, Palis. 

 Cannomois, Palis. 

 Boeckhia, Kunth. 



Numbers. Gen. 23. Sp. 171 {Kunth.) 



Position. Cyperacese. — RESxiACEiE. — Eriocaulacese. 



Fig. LXXXI.— Lepyrodia hermaphrodita. 1. A dower : 2. the .same when the fruit is ripe; 3. the 

 ovaries ; 4. the fruit in a state of dehiscence ; 5. the seed, cut vertically, of Restio dichotomus. 



