BOTANV. 71 



the sand on the sea-shore to the tops of the mountain. Many of them occur 

 in marshy ground. 



None of the plants of the order possess important medicinal qualities. 

 The creeping stems of Care.v arenaria^ distichn. and liirta. are diaphoretic 

 and demulcent, and have been used in medicine under the name of German 

 Sarsaparilla. Papyrus antlquorum is the Papyrus of the Nile, the celluLu- 

 tissue of which Avas used in the manufacture of paper. Tlie species of 

 EriopJionim are called cotton-grass, on account of tlie woolly-like substance 

 which is attached to the base of the ovary. Some species of Cyperns have 

 tubers at the lower part of their stems, which are used as food. The roots 

 of Cy perns longus have been used as bitter and tonic remedies, while those 

 of C. odoratus are aromatic. Some species of Scirptis are used for making 

 chair bottoms. Some of the Carices, with their creeping stems, tend to biml 

 together the loose sand on the sea-shore. 



Tribe 1. CaricecB. Flowers monoecious in the same (androgynous) or 

 separate spikes, sometimes dioecious ; proper perianth none. Achenium in- 

 closed in a sac (composed of two united inner scales, perigynitnn), lenticular 

 or triangular. The most important genus in this tribe is Carex, represented 

 by a vast number of species. 



Tribe 2. Elynece. Flowers mono-diclinous, perigone, none or multisetaceous. 

 setge glabrous or soft ; caryopsis trigonal, bearing on its summit the base of 

 the style which there forms a kind of rostrum or beak. Examples : Trilepis, 

 Elyna, Kobresia. 



Tribe 3. Sdcriece. Flowers monoecious ; the fertile spikes one-flowered, 

 the staminate several-flowered. Example : Scleria or nut rush. 



Tribe 4. Rhynchosporece. Flowers hermaphrodite or polygainous, fcAV or 

 one-flowered : perigone provided with stifl" sette, ciliated or plumose ; caryopsis 

 cartilaginous or crustaceous. There are two sub-tribes, one of which has 

 Rhj^nchospora for its type, the other Schoenus. 



Tribe 5 Cladieoi. Flowers hermaphrodite, perigone none ; caryopsis 

 bony, thick, very hard, often expanded at the summit, naked or surmounted by 

 the base of the style. Ex. Cladium, Lamprocai'ya, &c. 



Tribe G. Chrysitrichece. Flowers androgynous, monocarpous : perigone 

 proper, without a disk ; caryopsis crustaceous, globular, wrinkled at the 

 summit. Ex. Chrysithrix and Lepironia. 



Tribe 7. Hypolytrecc. Flowers perfect: the scales, many-ranked, eacli 

 covering a flower provided with its own (one to four) proper scale-like bract- 

 lets. True perianth none. Examples : Lipocarpha, Platylepis, Ilemicarpha. 

 Diplasia. 



Tribe 8. Fiiirenecc. I'lowers perfect : the scales many-ranked (regularly 

 imbi-icated on all sides), each covering a naked flower. Perianth, chiefly 

 double, viz., of three ovate scale-like sepals on claws, alternating with three 

 small bristles. There are three sub-tribes : 1. Melanocranidea; ; 2. Ilemi- 

 chlteneae ; and 3. Ficinieee. Fuirena is the type of the latter. 



Tribe 9. ScirpecB. Flowers perfect : the scales regularly several-ranked, 

 all, or all but the lowest, covering a naked floAver. Perianth of bristles, or 



Tl 



