422 CYPERACE^E. [CAREX. 



quetrous. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, W. Siberia, N.W. India, N. America. 

 Stigmas rarely 2. 



58. C. ripa'ria, Curtis ; tall, stout, leaves very broad, male spikelets 

 stout, anthers cuspidate, female long stout cylindric, perigynia ovoid ribbed, 

 a little exceeding the ovate-oblong cuspidate glumes, beak short 2-toothed. 

 River-banks and ditches, from Banff and Dumbarton southwards ; local in 

 Ireland ; fl. May. Much the largest British species, 3-5 ft. RooUtock 

 creeping and tufted. Stem 2-5 ft., 3-quetrous, scabrid. Leaves flat, ^ in. 

 broad and upwards, sheath-edges filamentous. Bract broad, overtopping 

 the stem. Spikelets very large ; male 3-6, crowded, 1^-2 in., i in. diam., 

 dark brown, acute, sometimes fern, at the base, mucro of anthers longer 

 than in C. paludosa; female 4-6, 2-3 in., pedicelled, inclined, sometimes 

 compound at the base or male at the top. Glumes narrow, margins brown, 

 midrib green, tip scabrid ; of male slender, acute. Periyynia J in., erecto- 

 patent, dull green, narrowed into the beak ; ribs many, close. Fndt elliptic, 

 3-quetrous, yellow. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, Siberia, N. America, 

 Chili, Brazil. This and the preceding are allied to C. aquatilis. 



ORDER XV. GRAMINEJE. 



Herbs usually tufted and slender. Stem cylindric or compressed, 

 jointed, usually hollow between the joints. Leaves alternate, narrow ; 

 sheath split to the base, with often a transverse membrane (ligule) or 

 ring of hairs at its mouth. Spikelets in terminal spikes, racemes, or 

 panicles, usually composed of one pair of flowerless (empty) glumes, 

 enclosing or subtending one or more sessile or stalked normally flower- 

 bearing (but sometimes also empty) glumes, which are distichously arranged 

 on a slender axis. Flowering glume terete or laterally compressed, enclosing 

 a 1-2-sexual flower, and a flat often 2-nerved scale (palea) with inflexed 

 edges. Perianth of 2 (rarely or 3 or more) minute scales, placed oppo- 

 site the palea. Stamens 3 (rarely 1, 2, 6, or more), filaments capillary ; 

 anthers 2-cellei, versatile, pendulous. Ovary 1 -celled, styles usually 2, 

 either long with hairy or short with feathery stigmas ; ovule 1, basal, 

 erect, anatropous. Fruit a membranous utricle, often adherent to the 

 palea, and sometimes to the flowering glume. Seed usually adnate to 

 the pericarp, testa membranous, albumen hard floury; embryo minute, 

 on one side of the base of the albumen, suborbicular. DISTRIB. All 

 climates ; genera 250; species about 4,500. AFFINITIES. With Cyperacece, 

 and distant with Palmece. PROPERTIES. Nutritious herbage, and farina- 

 ceous seed ; stems and leaves useful for various textile and other purposes. 



The reduced and often complex inflorescence of grasses renders an 

 intelligible arrangement of them very difficult. In the following I have 

 been very much guided by the views of General Munro, F.L.S., as given 

 by him in Harvey's "Genera of Cape Plants," the only deviation benur 

 in the extension of the tribe Phalaridcce: this General Munro would 

 confine to Phalaris and Anthoxanthum, referring Nardus to Hordcacece; 

 Spartinato Chloridece; Chamagrostis, Alopecurus, undPhleumto Agrostidece; 

 Hierochloe to Avenacece; and Sesleria to Poacece; but besides the other 



