190 CYPERACEAE 



borne in spikelets or spikes which are arranged in clusters, racemes, panicles 

 or umbels. Perianth none or represented by usually 4 to 6 bristles. Stamens 

 1 to 3. Pistil 1 ; ovary 1-celled with 1 ovule, the single style 2 or 3-cleft. Fruit 

 a lenticular or 3-angled achene. Embryo minute in mealy endosperm. About 

 fi5 genera and 3000 species, widely distributed over the earth, chiefly as marsh 

 plants. 



Bibliog. Clarke, C. B., Indian Species of Cyperus (Jour. Linn. Soc. vol. 21, pp. 1-202, 

 1884). Britton, N. L., Preliminary List N. Am. Species of Cyperus (Bull. Torr. Club, vol. 

 13, pp. 205-16, 1886) ; Genus Eleocharis in N. Am. (Jour. N. Y. Mic. Soc. vol. 5, pp. 95-111, 

 1889) ; List of Species of Scirpus and Ehyncospora in N. Am. (Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci. vol. 

 11, pp. 74-93, 1892). Bailey, L. H., Preliminary Synopsis N. Am. Carices (Proc. Am. Acad. 

 vol. 22, pp. 59-157, 1886). Parish, S. B., Preliminary Synopsis of Southern California 

 Cyperaceae (a series of papers in Bull. S. Cal. Acad. Sci. vols. 3-5. 1904-1906). Clarke, C. B., 

 New Genera and Species of Cyperaceae (Kew. Bull. Add. Ser. 8, 1908). Kiikenthal, Georg, 

 C'aricoideae (Engler, Pflzr. teil 4, abt. 20, 1909). 

 Flowers all perfect; spikelets many-flowered, with 1 or 2 of the lower scales empty. SCIRPEAE. 



Spikelets flattened, the scales in 2 opposite ranks; inflorescence involucrate 1. CYPERUS. 



Spikelets cylindrical, the scales imbricated around the axis in several rows. 

 Style enlarged or bulbous at base. 



Bulbous base of style persistent on the achene; perianth bristles generally present; 

 spikelet solitary, terminating the naked stem, the leaves at base reduced to sheaths. . 



2. ELEOCHARIS. 

 Bulbous base of style deciduous, not persistent on achene; perianth bristles none; 



spikelets umbellate or capitate, the stems leafy at base 3. FIMBRISTYLJS. 



Style not enlarged at base; perianth bristles usually present. 

 Scales not enclosing a bractlet ; perennials. 



Perianth bristles (1 to 8) barbed or none; stamens mostly 3; spikelets solitary or 

 clustered or in a compound umbel; stem often leafy at base and inflorescence in- 

 volucrate 4. SCIRPUS. 



Perianth bristles numerous, naked, long-exserted and silky in fruit ; stamens 1 to 3 ; 



spikelets few, otherwise as in Scirpus 5. ERIOPHORUM. 



Scales enclosing a minute bractlet; annuals 6. HEMICARPHA. 



Flowers of 2 kinds, perfect and staminate; spikelets few (1 or 2, sometimes to 6) -flowered, 

 with 3 to several of the lower scales empty. RHYNCOSPOREAE. 



Scales 2-ranked; style wholly deciduous 7. SCHOEXUS. 



Scales spirally imbricated. 



Style wholly deciduous; perianth bristles none 8. CLADIUM. 



Style or its base persistent as a tubercle or beak on the achene; perianth bristles commonly 



present 9. EHYNCOSPORA. 



Flowers monoecious or sometimes dioecious; spikes unisexual or androgynous; achene enclosed 

 in a sac (perigynium) or spathe. CABICEAE 10. CAREX. 



1. CYPERUS L. GALINGALE. 



Annuals or perennials. Stems triangular or terete, never branched, leafy 

 at base. Inflorescence subtended by a conspicuous leafy involucre, umbellate 

 with unequal rays and a sessile central spike, or capitate. Flowers in flattened 

 or subterete spikelets, the spikelets in capitate clusters or arranged in spikes 

 borne on the rays. Scales concave, more or less carinate, 2-ranked. Perianth 

 none. Species 544, all continents but chiefly in the warmer parts of the earth. 

 (Greek Kupeiros, the ancient name.) 



Style 2-cleft; achene lenticular or at least not triangular; spikelets flat; scales falling from 



the rachis; rachis not winged., 

 Spikelets in a close terminal cluster; scales sharply carinate; achene lenticular. 



Achene oblong; stamens 2; scales obtuse, 1 line long 1. C. melanostachiius. 



Achene ovoid; stamens 3; scales acute, 2 lines long 2. C. bromoides. 



Spikelets in an apparently lateral cluster; stamens 3; scales scarcely carinate; achene plano- 

 convex 3. C. lacrigatus. 



