REED-MACE FAMILY 503 



cies, 3 — 12 in. high, with a drooping, dense, spike-like panicle of 

 flowers. — Mountains ; rare. — Fl. July. Perennial. 



6. L. campestris (Field Wood-Rush, Good Friday Grass, Chim- 

 ney-sweeps). — An early spring meadow flower, 4 — 6 in. high, with 

 hairy, grass-like leaves, but distinguished by its panicles of 3 or 

 4 ovate, dense, 3 — 4-flowered clusters of dark brown, or almost 

 black, flowers, suggesting a sweep's brush. — Pastures ; common. — 

 Fl. March — May. Perennial. 



7. L. midtifldra (Many-flowered Wood-Rush). — A taller, stouter 

 species, 8 — 20 in. high ; with panicles of numerous many-flowered 

 clusters of flowers, sometimes pale brown, and sometimes on 

 drooping peduncles.— Heaths, mountains and moist situations ; 

 common. — Fl. June. Perennial. 



8. L. palUscens, a more slender species, 12 — 18 in. high; with 

 almost glabrous leaves, clusters of numerous, small, pale yellowish- 

 brown flowers, and minute seeds, occurs in Huntingdonshire fens. 



Ord. LXXXIV. Typhace.^. — Reed-Mace Family 



A small Order of marsh and water plants with creeping rhizomes ; 

 sword-shaped, linear leaves, sheathing at their bases ; and 

 numerous, small, monoecious flowers, which are only rendered 

 conspicuous by being crowded in compact cylindrical spikes or 

 globose heads, the staminate flowers being nearest the apex of the 

 inflorescence ; perianth of 3 scales, or a tuft of hairs, persistent ; 

 stamens i — 6, distinct, or united by their filaments ; ovary 

 superior, i -chambered, i-ovuled ; fruit indehiscent, often angular 

 from mutual pressure. The Order contains only two genera, both 

 of which are represented by common British species, the Bur-reeds 

 {Spargdnium) and the Reed-Maces (Typka). The pollen of the 

 latter is made into cakes in Scinde and in New Zealand. 



1. Typha. — Flowers in long, dense, cylindrical spikes. 



2. Sparganium. — Flowers in globular heads. 



I. Typha (Reed-Mace). — Herbaceous, aquatic plants with 

 sword-shaped leaves ; long, dense, cylindrical brown spikes of 

 pistillate flowers, surmounted by a more slender, deciduous spike 

 of staminate ones ; perianth of 2 or 3 slender hairs ; stamens 3, 

 monadelphous ; ovary stalked ; style slender. (Name from the 

 Greek tuphos, a marsh, where these plants grow.) 



I. T. latifolia (Great Reed-Mace, or Cat's tail). — Our largest 

 herbaceous aquatic, often growing 6 — 8 feet high, with nearly flat, 

 linear, glaucous leaves, and stout, cylindrical peduncles, sur- 

 mounted by a club-like spike of pistillate flowers which is contin- 



