464 Key to the System of 



1970. Very robust. 



Very tall ; amply and densely tufted, finally forming quite 

 big and very ponderous trunks above ground ; stems com- 

 pressed, very long, many from each trunk ; leaves also 

 of great length, broad-linear, very rigid, slightly chan- 

 nelled, the floral leaves quite rudimentary; leaf -stalks 

 open, somewhat fringed ; spikelets numerous, in a large 

 terminal capitular cluster ; flowers two, but only one fruit- 

 bearing ; rudimentary sepals setular ; rudimentary petals 

 absent ; fruit compressed or trigonous, cuneate-obovate, 

 pointed. "Trunk -Rush." S. sphaerocephalus. 



Very slender 1971 



1971. Floral bracts light-brown, without any lustre. 



Rather dwarf ; stems very thin ; leaves few, short, thinly fili- 

 form, sometimes channelled, occasionally obliterated, the 

 lowest floral leaf generally somewhat distant, one rudi- 

 mentary leaf occasionally near the middle of the stem ; 

 spikelets one to four, almost terminal, quite small, soon 

 somewhat turgid ; floral bracts pointed ; flowers two but 

 only one fruit-bearing ; sepals and petals reduced to 

 minute bristlets ; fruit turgid, blunt, from prominent 

 streaks somewhat angular. S. p auditor us. 



Floral bracts black-brown, shining. 



Chiefly maritime, dwarf, producing offshoots from the root ; 

 stems very thin ; leaves few, filiform, short, slightly 

 channelled ; the lowest floral leaf often well developed 

 and erect ; spikelets one to seven, very small, almost 

 lateral; floral bracts blunt; flowers two; sepals and 

 petals reduced to bristlets, conspicuously ciliolated to- 

 wards the base ; fruit shining. S. nitens. 



1972. Inflorescence abbreviated ... ... .. ... 1973 



Inflorescence elongated ... ... ... ... 1976 



1973. Base of the style finally much enlarged. 



Never tall; stem threadlike-thin, very weak; tubular 

 leaf-stalks as well as the floral bracts quite glabrous, the 

 latter dark- or black-brown ; spikelets from one to eleven, 

 quite short and narrow, sessile or when more than few 

 together somewhat paniculated ; sepals and petals absent ; 

 fruit ovate, terminated by the large turgid base of the 

 style, only one developed. S. capillaris. 



Base of the style remaining unenlarged ... ... 1974 



