CORONARIE^ 345 



The flowers are in heads, on a long scape, which is 

 twisted, six- to eight-furrowed, longer than the leaves, 

 with a long sheath at the base. The flowers are 

 numerous, white. The bracts are lead-coloured (as 

 are the perianth-segments), broad, oblong to inversely 

 ovate, and blunt, forming an involucre. The male 

 flowers are in the centre, with four stamens. The 

 fertile flowers are four-partite, divided nearly to 

 the base. The two lateral divisions are keeled, 

 flattened, blunt, fringed and black. The outer 

 perianth-segments are dark, with chaffy hairs. The 

 inner segments are fringed with hairs with a 

 black spot at the tip. The anthers are dark. The 

 ovary is two-lobed, stalked. There are two stigmas, 

 with a single style. The capsule is two- to three- 

 celled. 



In height the Pipewort varies from 4 in. to 2 ft. It 

 is in flower from July to August, and is a herbaceous 

 perennial. 



Since the plant is monoecious the flowers must be 

 cross-pollinated by outside agency, the male flowers 

 being more or less central, as the anthers open 

 inwards, and are bent in bud. 



The fruit, a capsule, opens by valves, and the seeds 

 may be wind-dispersed and then water-dispersed, the 

 tuft of hairs serving to prevent the seeds from being 

 wetted or from sinking. 



Pipewort, or Jointed Eriocaulon, are the only names 

 for the plant, which is rare and little-known except 

 to the botanist or specialist. 



