ERIOCAULONACE/E, CYPERACE3J. 1G5 



ORDKU CTV. ERIOCAULONA'CEJE. (PIPEWORT F.) 



Represented with us by the genus 



ERIOCAU'LOJV, L. PIPEWOKT. 



E. septangula're, Withering. A slender plant with a naked 

 scape 2-6 inches high, growing in shallow water in the margins 

 of our northern ponds. Leaves short, awl-shaped, in a tuft at 

 t*ie base. Flowers in a small woolly head at the summit of the 

 scape, monoecious. Perianth double ; the outer set or calyx of 

 2-3 keeled sepals ; the corolla tubular in the sterile flowers and 

 of 2-3 separate petals in the fertile ones. Scape 7-angled. The 

 head (except the beard) lead-coloured. 



III. GLUMA'OEOUS DIVISION. 



Flowers without a proper perianth, but subtended by 

 thin scales called ylum<&. 



This Division includes two very A arge Orders Cyper- 

 acese and Granrinese both of which present many diffi- 

 culties to the beginner. Accordingly no attempt will be 

 made here to enumerate and describe all the commonly 

 occurring species of these Orders. In chapter XI V., 

 Part I., the student will find descriptions and illustra- 

 tions of several typical Grasses. We shall here, therefore, 

 only describe two or three of the commonest representa- 

 tives of the Order Cyperacese, so as to put the beginner 

 in a position to continue his studies with the aid of 

 Gray's Manual or other advanced work. 



ORDER CV. CYPERA'CEJE. (SEDGE FAMILY.) 



Grass-like or rush-like herbs, easily distinguished from Grasses 

 by the sheaths of the leaves,, which in the Sedges are closed round 

 the culm, not split. Flowers in spikes, each flower in the axil 

 of a glume-like bract, either altogether without a perianth or 

 with a few bristles or scales inserted below the ovary. Ovary 

 1-celled, becoming an achene (2- or 3-angled). Style 2- or 3- 

 cleft. Stamens mostly 3, occasionally 2. 



