The Sedge Family 



mention of sedges as we read that "the land shadowing with wings" 

 sent ambassadors, "even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters." 



The nut-hke 

 tubers of certain sed- 

 ges of this genus are 

 edible, and the roots 

 of a few species are ^i 

 fragrant and aromatic, 

 yielding agreeable perfumes. 



Our common species grow in clumps, most 

 frequently in moist places, and bloom during 

 midsummer and later. The stems are leafy 

 at the base and are triangular. The flowers 

 are borne in spikelets which are usually flat 

 and linear and are clustered on branches at 

 the summit of the stems. A conspicuous 

 terminal flowering-head is thus formed, of 

 which a distinguishing feature is the presence 

 of one, several, or many leaves surrounding 

 the base of the flower-cluster. 



A typical plant of this genus is the Bristle- 

 spiked Cyperus {Cyphus strigdsus), a species 

 that is common in moist or dry soil by the 

 waysides and is also frequent near cultivated 

 grounds, where it is often found with Edible 

 Cyperus, or Yellow Nut-grass (Cyphus 

 escuUntus), which it somewhat resembles, and 

 which is noted for the small, edible tubers 

 borne on the roots. This latter species, also 

 called "Chufa," is cultivated in southern 

 Europe for the nut-like tubers which are 

 said to have a sweet taste when boiled or 

 roasted. The spikelets of the Bristle-spiked 

 Cyperus are of greenish straw-colour, but in 

 several other members of the genus the 

 spikelets are noticeably coloured in stripes of 

 brown and yellowish green. 



269 



llj^ 



I? 



Bristle-spiked Cyperus 

 Cyperus strigosus 



