362 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



are radical, linear, erect, sword-shaped, with a thick 

 subcentral mid-rib, flattened. The stem is similar. 

 The leaves are isobilateral, as in the Yellow Flag 

 {q. v.). They are aromatic or sweet-scented. The 

 margins are wavy. 



The scape is leaf-like, and has a prolongation of the 

 stem beyond the spadix with a spathe, not enclosing 

 the spadix. The spadix is quite covered with 

 flowers, and lateral. The spadix is stalkless, hence 

 the lateral appearance. It is dense, cylindrical, 

 yellowish-green, curved. The six short perianth- 

 segments are not longer than the two- to three-celled 

 ovary. The fruit is inversely ovoid with a pyramidal 

 top. There are six stamens. The fruit is a berry, 

 with one to three seeds. 



Three to four feet is the height of the Sweet Flag. 

 It flowers in June and July, and is a herbaceous 

 perennial. 



The flowers are hermaphrodite, there being a 

 hundred in each spadix. The stigmas ripen before 

 the anthers. Ripe fruit is not produced in this 

 country. In Asia, the fruit is formed, however, and 

 this may be due to there being insects in that region 

 which are adapted to cross-pollination. 



Beewort, Cinnamon Sedge, Myrtle Flag, Sweet 

 Flag, Myrtle-grass, Myrtle Sedge, Sweet Sedge, 

 Sweet Seg, Sweet Rush, are names that this plant 

 has received. 



The rhizome was used as a stimulant and tonic. 

 In Norfolk it was considered a remedy for ague. It 



