828 



CYPERACEJE, (SEDGK FAMILY.) 



Akene in the 3-stigmatose species flattened, in the 3-stigmatose tri- 

 quetrous — Annual or perennial herbs, with leaves sheathing at base, 

 sometimes reduced to simple sheaths. 



* Style UM' Akene more or less compressed {in C. pygmcms sometimcR 

 triquetrous). Racfiis not icinged. 

 t Margin of cikene turned toward the rachis of its spikelet. Anmials. 

 1 C. flavescens, 3 globosus. 



1 1 Face of akene turned totcard the rachis of its spikelet. Perennials or 



annuals. 

 8 Isevigatus, 4 distachyus, 5 alopecuroides, 6 pygmseus. 

 * * Style trifid. Akene triquetrous. 

 t Rachis of spikelet angled or margined^ not icinged. 

 7 C. schsenoides, 8 conglomeratus, 9 fuscus, 10 eleusinoides, 

 11 glaber. 



1 1 Rachis of spikelet furnished loith decurrenf, memdranous toings. 

 12 C. Papyrus, 13 longus, 14 rotundus, 15 esculentus. 

 1. C. flavescens, L. © Tufted, green; root fibrous; culms 

 slender, obtusely 3-angled, leafy at base. Leaves linear, acuminate, 

 somewhat shorter than culm. Spikelets oblong-lanceolate, flattened, 

 arranged in an unequally 3-8-rayed umbel, or a globular head, sessile; 

 leaves of involucre 2-3, unequal, much longer than spikelets ; glumes 

 imbricated, ovate, obtuse, with a green keel and 3-nerves, pale yellow ; 

 stamens 3; akene globular-lenticular, smooth or obsoletely wrinkled, 

 half as long as glume — Summer — Coast and lower mountains. 



2. C. globosus, L. © Tufted, green; 

 root fibrous; culms slender, erect, triquetrous, 

 leafy at base. Leaves linear, shorter than culm. 

 Spikelets linear-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 

 flattened, sessile, in a few-rayed umbel or a 

 globular head; leaves of involucre 2-3, much 

 longer than spikelets; glumes imbricated, ob- 

 long, obtusish, with a green keel, 3-nerved, 

 h'own toward translucent edge, stamens 2 ; akenes 

 obovate-oblong, apiculate, one-third as long as 

 glume — Summer — Coast to middle mountain 

 region, and interior plains. Too near tlie last. 



3. C. laeTigatus, L. 21 Faza\ Sammdr. 

 Burleit. Root-stock horizontal, creeping; culms 

 erect, triquetrous above, leafy at base, the 

 lowest leaves reduced to sheaths, the limb of 

 the upper ones linear. Spikelets numerous, in 

 a globular, lateral cluster, oblong, compressed, 

 white ; leaves of involucre two, one forming the 

 continuation of the culm, the other short or 

 ; glumes very closely imbricated, ovate-orlicu- 

 lar, obtuse; stamens 3; akene obovate, obtuse, 

 convex on its outer, flattish on its inner aspect, 

 half as long as glume — Spring — Sinai ; el-'Ara- 

 bah ; coast of Palestine and Syria. 



Fig. 



Inflorescence of 

 Cyperua Itcvjgatus. 



