460 CYPERACEAE. 
3-angular, or 2-cleft when the achene is flattened or lenticular. Embryo 
minute, at the base of a farinaceous albumen. — Grass-like or rush-like 
herbs with mostly trigonal solid stems and closed leaf sheaths. Spikelets 
solitary, or several in a cluster, spike, umbel or panicle. Inflorescence 
and its branches almos t suis: subtended by bracts which are usually 
leaf-like under the principal rays or branches, glume-like (reduced to the 
sheath) under the spikelets. When the inflorescence is umbellate it is 
very irregularly so, one or more spikelet-clusters or partial umbels being 
always sessile, while the others are supported on peduncles or rays of 
very unequal lanai 
A large Order wcpesussived emp tans Atak whole globe, but more especially 
Be thai moist situations or the edges of wa 
Flowers, at least the fertile ones, nermapiaie: 
Glumes distichous, 2-ranked ( Cyper ae): 
Spikelets sytangt fio ne tag Saar | “a Aah the spikes or rays 
Jess umbella 1, Cyperus. 
Spikelets - flowered or <0 Hy a second male flower, crowded. in 
a sessile head . 3 2. Kyllingia. 
ypogynous bristles or thes ; ‘ ; : : 3. Fimbristylis. 
ypo. bristles 
se ‘7 Sizes style oe paca on the achene; stem 
ary 
spikelet _ 4, Eleocharis. 
Sa of ih the style not thickened spikelets generally numerous 
in clusters or pseu 5. Scirpus. 
perianth of 2 lateral fold ed eda nd keeled scales ( Hypotytreae) 6. Hypolytrum. 
fle Beiens 1- or few-flowered, with several empty glumes belo 
(Rhynchosporeae) : 
gyn bristles : 
Base of the style thick at last extending as a fleshy cap 
on the achene or paneled chest eat! it; inflorescence 
a th of dense cory 8. Cladium. 
yrs rym 
Base of the style enlarged, persisten as a horny pyramidal 
beak on the achene; Se ets ieos a 
winged om 
‘9, Baumea. 
. Vineentia. 
2 
Z 
R44 
g 
3 
= 
3 
€, Wibg' 
Base of the style not e enlarged ; achenes ovotd ¢ or fusiform, 
shining black, red or yellow; so es 1—3 anth- 
scales present; inflorescence spieate-peniculate fs : 11. Gahnia. 
A perianth of 6 hypogynous tl 
istles discreet, deciduous; erect “herbs with mostly com- 
pani 
pound panicles; achene beaked 7. Rhynchospora. 
eben coherent, persistent after the umes have. fa. len 
low dichotomous herbs with single spikelets at the pie 
leafy branches; achenes not- 12. Oreobolus. 
bo 
of t-beaked 
Flowers all unisexual, the sexes in Mating! spikelets, the pistillate 
spikelets 1-flowered, mixed in clusters with the male; aghen 
globose, white, seated on a disk (Sclerieae)  . 13. Seleria. 
Flowers all A psig Sele separate or in androgynot us 
spikes, the male fl. y occupying the ae. rarely 
lower portion of the Sou icin enclosed in a bidentate ae 
ee’ 
A barbed awn in the nee henna the achene. : . 14, Uneinta 
Only the achene in the wu ; : ; 15. Carex. 
