GALINGALE 



51 



Galingale (Cyperus longus, L.) 



This mai-itime sedge is not represented in any of the early deposits 

 in Great Britain. To-day it is to be found in tlic North Temperate 

 Zone in Europe, South of France and 

 Germany, and in North Atrica. In 

 Great Britain it is found on the coasts 

 of West Cornwall, N. Somerset, South 

 Wilts, Dorset, Isle of Wight, East 

 Kent, Pembroke, and the Channel 

 Islands. 



This plant is a maritime species, 

 which is very rare, and onl\' found in 

 the abo\e counties growing in marshes 

 by the sea, and not ever far inland. 



Galingale has a characteristic ap- 

 pearance trom its umbelled spikes. 

 The rootstock is creeping. The stems 

 are erect, few, slender, 3-sided, with 

 many leaves below. The leaves are 

 not numerous, spreading. There are 

 3 bracts below the rays of flowers, 

 like the leaves but unequal, thickened 

 below. 



The flowers are borne on a twice- 

 compound umbel, with linear rays 

 again becoming umbellate, both general 

 and partial involucres, or whorls of 

 leaflike organs, being long and un- 

 (.([ual. The spikelets are linear-lance- 

 shaped, curved, in two rows, flattened, 

 with reddish-brown glumes, with green 

 keel or midrib, and paler margins. 

 The stigmas soon fall. 



Galingale is 2-3 ft. high, hlowers 

 are open in July. Galingale is a 

 perennial, propagated by means of 

 suckers. 



The flowers are bise.xual. There 

 are 1-3 stamens, the styles deciduous, not swollen at the base, and 

 there are 2 3 stigmas. Tlie embryo is embedded in endos])erm. The 



Pliolo. H. Irving 



(;ai.in("..\i.k (Cvpenis loiig-us, L.) 



