342 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



seeds are scattered near the plant, or to a distance if 

 the stems are agitated by the wind. 



Wood grass, Shadow-grass, Wood-blades, are 

 names for this plant. 



LuzuLA SYLVATiCA. — Fig. 95 gives a good idea of 

 the tufted habit of the plant, the broad leaves, the large, 

 loosely -clustered cymes, the branches spreading in fruit, 



82. The Pipewort Group. 



The Pipeworts are South American plants, and the 

 species found in the British Isles is a recent intro- 

 duction, unless we regard it as a relic of a more 

 extensive American flora, existing in this area, which 

 was continuous with that of America itself, there 

 being a land-bridge between the Old and New 

 World in comparatively recent times, as is believed 

 by good authorities such as Dr. Scharff. 



Of the Order Eriocaulonacege there are some 340 

 species and six genera. They are mainly Sub-tropical 

 and Tropical in distribution. They are especially 

 numerous in America up to the Arctic Circle, and 

 are found in Asia, Africa, and Australia. Except in 

 the British Isles the species described is not known 

 in Europe, or in Russian Asia. 



The affinities of the group are with the Restiaceae 

 and Xyridaceae. 



The majority of these plants are perennial and 

 herbaceous. They are aquatic and marsh plants. 

 The habit is the rosette habit as a rule, with radical 



