283 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



In the species figured (110, 1), the leaves are flat 

 and hairy ; the bract also taking the form of a leaf 

 (1, V). The female spikelet (1, V) is sessile or seated in 

 the axil of the long bract by itself; but the male 

 (1, a, a) are usually two or three in number. (2) is a 

 portion of the three-angled stem. (3) is a male flower, 

 consisting of a bract or glume, with three stamens. 

 (4) is a female flower, consisting of a pistil of three 

 carpels, as indicated by the three stigmas, invested by 

 a bottle-shaped perigone, apparently composed of two 

 opposite glumes, coherent by their margins. (5) is the 

 ripened fruit within the perigone ; (6) the three-cornered 

 fruit extracted from it. (7) is the vertical section of 

 the ovary showing the single seed, the embryo at the 

 base being surrounded by endosperm. (8) is the 

 embryo. 



General Description of the Matjesgoed Family. 



JLerhs — Tufted ; with a creeping rhizome, and three- 

 angled solid culms. 



Leaves — With entire sheaths. 



Flowers — In spikelets, with scale-like glumes, each 

 having a flower in the axil. Perianth, of bristles, 

 hairs or ; stamens, 3 ; ovary, 1-celled. 



Frtdt — Achene, sometimes within a bag-like en- 

 velope (Carex). 



