Jennings: Contribution to Botany of Isle of Pines. 73 



138. Distichlis spicata (Linnaeus) Greene. Salt Grass. 



Uniola spicata Linnaeus, Species Plantarum, 1753, p. 71. 



Distichlis spicata Greene, Bulletin California Academy of Sciences, II, 1887, 



P- 415- 



On sandy beach at Bibijagua, May 7, 1910, O.E. Jennings, No.yg. 

 General Distribution: Coastal salt marshes and saline soils, Nova 

 Scotia to the West Indies and Mexico, and Pacific coast as far north 

 as British Columbia. 



Family CYPERACE^. 



Key to the Species Enumerated. 



Spikelets with one or more perfect flowers. 



Tribe I. Cypereee. — Spikelets with many flowers, the scales distichous, none or 

 not more than two of the lower scales empty. 



Style branches two {Kyllingia) 139. Kyllingia brevifolia. 



Style branches three (Cyperus). 



Rachis of the flattened spikelet persistent, scales deciduous. 



140. Cyperus elegans, 

 Rachis deciduous above the two lower empty scales. 



Spikelets with one achene; umbels simple 141. Cyperus Swarlzii. 



Spikelets with 2-4 achenes; umbels composite.. .142. Cyperus ligularis, 



Spikelets with 5-8 achenes; umbels simple 143. Cyperus brunneus. 



Spikelets many-flowered; umbel proliferous 145. Cyperus pinetoritm. 



Rachis breaking up into one-seeded joints; umbels composite. 



144. Cyperus Vahlii. 

 Tribe II. Scirpece. — Scales of the spikelet pluriseriate, 2-0 of the lower ones 

 empty. (Scales distichous in Abildgaardia.) 

 Style distinctly bulbous at the base, the bulbous base either remaining as a 

 tubercle or falling away with the style. 

 Scales of the spikelet pluriseriate. 



Bristles arising at base of achene; spikelet one, terminal (Eleocharis). 



Culms plainly nodose-septate 146. Eleocharis inter stincta. 



Culms not nodose-septate 147. Eleocharis capitata. 



Bristles none at base of achene; the style deciduous with its bulbous 

 base, hence no tubercle (Fimbristylis). 



Leaves long; spikelets firm 149. Fimbristylis spadicea. 



Leaves short; spikelets soft 148. Fimbristylis ferruginea. 



Bristles none; tubercle persistent. 



Spikelets several in a terminal umbel or, in depauperate forms, 



solitary 151. Stenophyllus capillaris. 



The solitary spikelet terminal 150. Stenophyllus paradoxus. 



.Scales of the spikelet two-ranked 152. Abildgaardia monostachya. 



Style without distinctly bulbous base; petal-like scales and bristles arising at 

 base of achene {Fuirena). 

 Spikes of the head 1-5; petal-like scales elliptic, stalked. 



153. Fuirena simplex. 



/^ 



