CYPEKACEAE 195 



barbed: achenes obovoid, above the slender base, lenticular, about 1.5 mm. long, smooth, 

 dark brown ; tubercle subulate, about as long as the achene. 



In moist soil, Maine to Ontario, Michigan, Florida and Texas. Summer and fall. A relatively 

 stout variety, with stems 1-1.5 mm. tall, wider leaf-blades, numerous spikelets in compound clusters 

 and achenes 2 mm. long, is R. glomerata paniculdta (A. Gray) Chapm.; it ranges from Maryland to 

 Florida and Louisiana. A relatively slender form, with stems only 6-9 dm. tall, and few distant simple 

 peduncled clusters is R. glomerata leptocdrpa Chapm.; it ranges from South Carolina to Florida and 

 Alabama. A third variety, R. glomerata discutiens Clarke, has smooth bristles or these barbed only near 

 the apex, and a known range from New Jersey to North Carolina. 



15. Rynchospora axillaris ( Lam. ) Britton. Perennial. Stems stout, 5-10 dm. tall : 

 leaf-blades nearly flat, keeled, 2-3 mm. wide : spikelets spindle-shaped, 5-6 mm. long, 

 numerous, in several short-peduncled axillary and terminal dense globose heads some- 

 times 2 cm. in diameter : scales dark brown, ovate-oblong, acute : perianth-bristles 6, 

 downwardly barbed : achenes broadly obovoid above the contracted base, 2. 5 mm. long, 

 brown, smooth, lenticular ; tubercle subulate, about as long as the achene. 



In swamps, Long Island to Florida and Louisiana. Summer and fall. 



16. Rynchospora microcephala Britton. Perennial, deep green. Stems tufted, 

 slender, 3-14 dm. tall, smooth : leaves overtopped by the stem ; blades linear-filiform, in- 

 volute, smooth: spikelets numerous, 3-3.5 mm. long, crowded into 2-4 short-peduncled 

 compact globose heads about 1 cm. in diameter or smaller : scales acuminate, smooth, 

 chestnut-colored : perianth-bristles 6, downwardly barbed : achenes lenticular, obovoid, 

 1.5 mm. long, smooth, margined ; tubercle shorter than the achene, subulate-lanceolate. 

 [jR. axillaris var. microcephala Britton.] 



In swamps or low grounds, New Jersey to Florida and Louisiana. Spring to fall. 



17. Rynchospora fuscoides Boeckl. Perennial, bright green. Stems tufted, 1.5-7 

 dm. tall, slender : leaves several, chiefly at the base of the stem ; blades flat, smooth : 

 spikelets 2-2.5 mm. long, in small often geminate terminal clusters and on robust plants 

 with an additional one lower down the stem : perianth-bristles 6, barbed upward : achenes 

 lenticular, smooth, about 2 mm. long excluding the subulate conic ciliate tubercle, mostly 

 surpassed by the bristles. 



In low pine lands, Florida to Texas. Also in Cuba. Spring to fall. 



18. Rynchospora Curtissii Britton. Stems filiform, glabrous, 1-2 dm. tall : leaves 

 few; blades filiform, less than 0.5 mm. wide, much shorter than the stem: spikelets few 

 or solitary, in 1-3 loose clusters, oblong, acute at both ends, 4-6 mm. long : scales ovate- 

 oblong, chestnut-brown, keeled, mucronate: perianth-bristles 6, slender, downwardly 

 barbed, much overtopping the achene : achenes linear-oblong, nearly 1.5 mm. long, light 

 brown, smooth, lenticular ; tubercle compressed, lanceolate, ciliate, dark brown, fully J as 

 long as the achene. 



In bogs, Milton, Florida. Summer. 



19. Rynchospora filifolia Torr. Perennial, bright green. Stem tufted, 1.5-6 dm. 

 tall, nearly terete, filiform or very slender : leaves numerous at the base of the stem ; blades 

 filiform or bristle-like : spikelets aggregated into 2-4 capitate clusters, lanceolate in out- 

 line, 3-3.5 mm. long: perianth-bristles barbed upward, rather rigid, not longer than the 

 achene and tubercle or scarcely so : achenes lenticular, obovoid, margined, smooth and 

 shining, light brown, less than \ mm. long ; tubercle flat, ciliate, triangular. 



About pine-land ponds, North Carolina to Florida and Texas. Spring to fall. 



20. Rynchospora leptorhyncha C. Wright. Perennial, bright green. Stems tufted, 

 slender, 3-6 dm. tall : leaves erect ; blades involute, filiform or linear-filiform, curved, 

 smooth : spikelets lanceolate in outline, about 5 mm. long, acute, several together in 2 or 

 3 rather loose capitate clusters : perianth-bristles 6, not longer than the achene and tubercle 

 or scarcely so : achenes orbicular-obovoid or obovoid-oval, 1.5-2 mm. long, smooth, each 

 capped by a lanceolate ciliate dark brown tubercle. 



In grassy pine woods, Florida and Cuba. Spring to fall. 



21. Rynchospora distans (Michx.) Vahl. Perennial, pale green. Stems tufted, 

 slender, 3-7 dm. tall : leaves several at the base of the stem ; blades filiform or nearly so 

 by the involute margins : spikelets ovoid, about 3 mm. long, several together in terminal 

 and axillary clusters : perianth-bristles mostly 6, usually upwardly barbed, about as long 

 as the achene : achenes oval or oblong-oval, 1.5-2 mm. long, excluding the broad conic 

 smooth tubercle. 



In pine lands, South Carolina to Florida. Spring to fall. 



22. Rynchospora gracil^nta A. Gray. Stems slender or filiform, smooth, 3-5 dm. 

 tall : leaf -blades flat or becoming involute in drying, rather less than 2 mm. wide, shorter 

 than the stem : spikelets narrowly ovoid, acute, 4 mm. long, few, in 1-4 loose clusters, the 

 lower clusters filiform stalked : scales ovate, brown : perianth-bristles 6, upwardly 



