0&D28 155.— CYPERACEjE. 731 



Class IV. GLUMIFERiE. 



Plants of the endogenous structure, having the flowers invested 

 with an imbricated perianth of alternate glumes instead of 

 sepals and petals, and collected into spikelets, spikes or heads. 

 The Class is equivalent to the 



Cohort 7. GRAMINOIDE2E. 



Order CLV. CYPERACEJi The Sedges. 



Herbs grass-like or rush-like, with fibrous roots and solid culms. Leaves mostly 

 linear, channeled, arising from eDtiro or tubular sheaths. Flowers spiked, perfect or 

 diclinous, one in the axil of each glume. Perianth none, or represented by a few 

 hypogynous bristles (seta), or a cup-shaped or a sac-shaped perigynium. Stamens 

 definite (1 to 12), mostly 3. Anth. fixed by their base, 2-cellcd. Ovary 1-celled, 

 with an anatropous, erect ovule, forming in fruit a utricle. Embryo enclosed in tho 

 baso of the albumen. 



Genera 120, specie* 2000. Tho Serines abound in almost all climes of the globe, and In all 

 localities, but are more common in the meadows, marshes and swamps of the temperate zones 

 About 40 genera and 400 species are known in North America. 



Properties. — They are in general little used for food or in the arts. Their coarse herbage Is 

 often eaten by cattle, but they are nearly destitute of the sweet and nutritious properties of tho 

 grasses. The* leaves of some of the larger species are usedin Italy to bind flasks, and in weaving 

 the bottoms of chairs. Yet, although of so little apparent value, their vast numbers authorised 

 t4»« belief that they subserve many highly important ends in tho economy of nature. 



TRIBES AND GENERA. 

 $ Tribe 1. CYPEREjE. Glumes distychous (2-rowed). Flowers perfect. (*) 



* Inflorescence axillary. Perigynium or perianth of 6 to 10 seta? Dui.icmuM. 1 



* Inflorescence terminal. Perigynium none. — Spikes 2 to CO-flowered Cypf.eus. 8 



— Spikes 1-flowered, capitate. . . .Kylungia. 3 

 5 Tribe 2. SCIEPEjE. Glumes imbricated in several rows, each (except some- 

 times the lowest) flower bearing. Inflorescence wholly terminal or wholly lat- 

 eral (never both). Flowers perfect. (*) 



* Perianth of 3 ovate petals and (often) of 3 seta; Fuibena. 4 



* Perianth of 3 to CO hypogynous setae, (a) 



a Achenium crowned with a tubercle. Spike solitary, terminal Eleociiar:v 5 



a Achenium not tuberc. — Seta? 3 to G, short, or else tawny. Spike3 1 to CO . ..Scip.rifl. t» 

 — Seta: Co (rarely 6), long, white, cottony Eriopiiokum. T 



* Perianth 0.— Stylo 2-cleft, smooth.— Spikes 2 to 3, lateral Hemicarpiia. R 



— Spikes CO, in a terminal head Lipocabpiia. !» 



—Style 2-cleft, ciliolate. Spikes 5 to 10, terminal Fimhristylis. 



—Style 3-cleft, smooth. Achenium 8-angled Triciielostyi.w. 19 



{ Tribb 3. RIIYNCHOSPORE^E. Glnmes imbricated in several rows, many 

 of the lowest empty. Inflorescence both terminal and axillary (except in No. 

 12). Flowers perfect or diclinous, (c) 

 O Achenia crowned with the persistent style or Its bulbous base, (d) 



d Perianth none (no set.-e). — Spikes diffusely cymous Psilocarva. 11 



—Spikes capitate. Bracts colored Dioiiromexa. 12 



d Perianth of seta.— Achen. tuberculato with the base of the style.. ..Rhynchospora. 13 

 — Achenium horned with the entire long style.. .Ceratosciiojnus. 14 



C Achenia not tuberculate, — brown like the scales. Seta? none Claimum. 15 



— white or whitish, crustaceous. Seta none Solrsia. 16 



