158 



WEEDS OF THE FARM AND GARDEN 



leaved, persistent perennial, bearing scaly, tuberous, root 

 bearing rootstocks, with a stout culm ; leaves about one- 

 fourth inch wide with a cluster near the top having the 

 appearance of an umbel, the leaves of which number 

 three to eight ; flowers borne in spikes consisting of 

 numerous spikelets, each from twelve to forty-flowered ; 

 stems triangular; scales dark purple; seed three-angled. 



Common in places from 

 Virginia to Florida and 

 Texas ; also occurs in the 

 old world and is widely 

 distributed in the tropics. 

 Rush (Scirpus atrovi- 

 rens, Muhl.). A stout 

 perennial, two to four feet 

 high, with pale green 

 leaves, the margins scab- 

 rous, upper leaves 

 whorled ; spikelets dull 

 greenish, or brown, ovoid ; 

 bristles strongly barbed, 

 nearly straight; fruit 

 crowded, in scant, irregu- 

 lar clusters. Common in 

 low grounds, along 

 streams from New Eng- 

 land to Saskatchewan, 

 Nebraska and Missouri. 

 It is also said to be a 

 Fig. 95. Northern nut grass (Wmw trou bl esome wee d in 



Minnesota. 5". validus 

 is the common bulrush of our streams and ponds. 



Rush Family (Juncaceae). Grasslike herbs; incon- 

 spicuous, regular flowers in paniculate or corymbose 

 clusters; perianth of six similar glumaceous parts, rarely 

 four to five cleft ; stamens three to six ; pistil one-celled 



