140. ERIOCAULACEJE. 



SERIES.— ENANTIOBLA S TM. 

 FAM. 140. ERIOCAULACE^. 



Marsh or aquatic herbs with narrow or grass-Hke radical or (in 

 aquatics) cauline leaves and very minute flowers bracteate in involu- 

 crate capitate scapose heads, unisexual but usually monoecious. 

 Perianth in 2 whorls inferior. Male fl. : outer perianth whorl or sepals 

 of 2-3 free or connate scales, petals 2-3, equal or unequal, often very 

 obscure, inserted on the top of a clavate elongate stipes or corolla- 

 tube, stamens 6 or fewer, some often reduced to filaments, anthers 

 dosifixed, pistillode minute or 0. Fem. fl. : sepals 2-3 caducous, 

 petals 3, rarely 2 or 0, persistent, spathulate or oblanceolate, usually 

 ciliate or villous, and with 1 rarely 2 black glands. Ovary 3, 

 rarely 2-celled, style short persistent, stigmas 2-3 slender, with some- 

 times interposed lobes or appendages, ovules solitary in the cells, 

 pendulous, orthotropous. Fruit a loculicidal 3-lobed membranous 

 capsule, lobes globose. Seeds pendulous, testa coriaceous, striolate 

 and often papillose, embryo outside the floury albumen. 



The Indian species all belong to the genus Eriocaulon. The family is some- 

 times called the Composita? of the Monocotyledons. They present great difficulty 

 in the variability of the bracts and flowers in a single head. T have consulted 

 Ruhland's monograph and Fyson's paper on the Indian species. 



1. ERIOCAULON, L. 



Inner scales of the involucre not forming a ray. Fis. 2-3-merous, 

 inner perianth lobes (petals) free, often with glands on the inner side, 

 sometimes also in the male. Stamens 6 or 4 or fewer bj^ abortion, 

 anthers 2-locellate. 

 I. Water plants, only the peduncles rising above the surface, 

 stems elongate, submerged : — ■ 

 Anthers black. Peduncles numerous sub- corymbose, 



short . . . . . . . . .1. setaceum.. 



Anthers white. Peduncles solitary, very long . . .2. rivulare. 



II. Terrestrial on wet ground, leaves all radical forming a 

 tuft or rosette. Peduncles scapose : — 



A. Anthers white : — 



Very small. Male calyx spathaceous. Bracts glabrous 3. Sieholdianum. 



B. Anthers black : — 



1. Involucral bracts not longer than the floral, reflexed 

 0)- spreading : — 

 a. Floral bracts with dark tips closely covered with 

 short stout hairs. Eecept. or base of fls. 

 villous : — 

 1. Small plants 3-8" high. Sepals flat. M. petals 

 small, one usually larger than the other 

 two : — 

 L. not red. Hds. dark, •1--2'' diam. Fl. 



bracts obtuse or suddenly acute . . .4. frilobum. 



L. usually red at base. Hds. white (from the 

 dense hairs) -2- -25" diam. Fl. bracts acu- 

 minate ....... 5. quinquangulare. 



ii. Taller, attaining 12-15". One M. petal often 

 twice as long as the other two. Two sepals 

 cymbiform : — 

 Hds. white •25-- 3" diam. Invol. bracts 2- 



seriate ....... 0. collinum. 



106G 



