Victorian Plants. 23 



103. Leaves mostly well developed, basal and somewhat 

 pellucid. 



Usually small plants; flowers always minute, in a single 

 terminal head-like spikelet ; staminate and pistillate 

 flowers distinct, but within the same spikelet ; sepals and 

 petals three each or fewer, almost transparent or whitish, 

 the petals not rarely connate into a corolla, very seldom 

 absent ; stigmas three or two ; fruit three- or two-celled, 

 always dehiscent ; seed solitary, pendent. Eriocauleae. 494 



Leaves often rudimentary, scattered and rigid. 



Usually rush-like plants, some twining ; clasping leafstalks 

 slit longitudinally; staminate and pistillate flowers mostly 

 on distinct plants; sepals and petals three or two each, 

 glumaceous, occasionally much reduced or absent ; stigmas 

 three or two; fruit one- to three celled, longitudinally 

 dehiscent or indehiscent. Figure 124. Restiaceae. 495 



Acalyceae hypogynae. 



104. Clasping leafstalks tubular, unopened. 



Stems usually solid, nodeless; stamens and pistils in the 

 same or in distinct flowers, but rarely on separate plants ; 

 floral bracts solitary; sepals and petals rudimentary or 

 absent; ovule solitary, erect; fruit one-celled, indehiscent; 

 embryo enclosed within the albument. Figure 125. 



Cyperaceae. 502 



Clasping leafstalks open longitudinally. 



Stems usually hollow, hardly ever angular; continuity of 

 stems intercepted by nodes; stamens and pistil often 

 in the same flower ; sepals and petals rudimentary or 

 absent; covering floral bract (palea) consisting of two 

 connate bracteoles or sepals lined by two venules : ovule 

 solitary, erect; fruit (grain, caryopsis) often adherent or 

 adnate to the covering bract, indehiscent ; embryo lateral 

 and external at the base of the albument. Figure 126. 



Gramineae. 518 



Acotyledoneae vasculares. 



105. Fruiting organs often emanating at or near the roots. 



Aquatic or rarely terrestrial plants, never large ; foliaceous 

 organs scale-like, frond-like or stalk-like ; fruiting organs 

 generally free from the leaf-like or frond-like organs. 

 Figures 127 and 128. Rhizospermae. 559 



