13L TYPHACEM. [1. Typha. 



2. WOLFFIA, HorM. 



The smallest known flowering plants consisting of minute oblong 

 or subglobose rootless fronds flattened above, proliferous. Flowers 

 without spathe, bursting through the upper surface. Male a sessile 

 or subsessile 1 -celled (2-locellate Avhen young) anther, transversely 

 dehiscent at top, pollen smooth. Female a globose ovary with short 

 style and depressed stigma. Ovule 1 erect orthotropous. Utricle 

 spherical indehiscent. 8eed oblique, albumen fleshy scanty. 



1. W. arrhiza, Wimm. 



Frond subglobose or more cylindric. 

 Very common in Beng-al, Roxb., Karz. and others. Probaljlj' throughout Imlia. 



FAM. 134. TYPHACEJE. 



(Excluding Sparganiese.) 



Aquatic or marsh herbs with creeping rhizome clothed with dis- 

 tichous scales and with erect distichous spongy linear leaves placed 

 face to face (not equitant as in Iris). Flowers minute densely crowded 

 in cylindric superposed spikes, the upper spike male the lower female. 

 FIs. often intermixed v.ith slender clavate bracteoles or simple or 

 branched hairs. Perianth (the slender hairs in the female are 

 sometimes regarded as a perianth). JMale fl. with 2-5, usually 2-3 

 or rarely only 1 stamen, filaments usually connate, tip of connective 

 thickened. Fem. fl. seated on a slender elongate axis thickly covered 

 with persistent hairs, in a few species in the axil of a membranous 

 spathulate bract. Carpel 1 minute stipitate and narrowed into a 

 capillary persistent style with a clavate or filiform stigma. Ovule 1, 

 pendulous from the top of the carpel. Sterile female flowers occur 

 on a yet longer axis or stipes with a clavate pistillode. Fruit becoming 

 detached with the hairy stipes, very minute with a membranous 

 pericarp, indehiscent or dehiscent by a lid on germination. Seed 

 sometimes adnate to the Avail, with very thin perisperm and fleshy 

 endosperm. Embiyo axile. 



1. TYPHA, L. Reed-Mace; Cat's-tail. 



Characters of the Family. 



T;. 3-o-onous above the sheath, pollen i-globate .... \. elephanfUm. 

 L. s^emi-terete above the sheath. Pollen globose . . . .2. avgn^tata. 



1. T. elephantina, Roxh. Hugla, Vem.; Greater Indian Reed-mace; 



Elephant-grass. 



A gigantic gregarious marsh plant 6-12 ft. high with erect grass-like 

 equitant leaves 4-6 ft. long, -7-1 -5" broad, somewhat convex dorsally 

 and concave ventrallV; becoming narrower keeled and trigonous 

 towards the sheath. Flowering stem embraced at the base by the 

 leaf-sheaths, straight, glossy, spongy within the top forming the 

 rhachis of the female and male spikes. Lower female spike 6-10" 

 long by -3-1" diam., finally brown, a deciduous foliaceous spathe 

 embraces the whole inflorescence Avhen young. Male spike 2-3" 



S75 



