828 



CTPERACE^, (SEDGE FAMILY.) 



Akene in the 2-stigmatose species flattened, in the 3-stigmatose tri- 

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

 sometimes reduced to simple sheaths. 



* Style bifid. Akene more or less compressed {in C. pygmmus sometimes 

 triquetrous). Bachis not winged. 



t Margin of akene twined toward the rachis of its spihelet. Annuals. 



1 C. flavescens, 2 globosus. 



1 1 Face of akene turned toward the rachis of its spikelet. Perennvds or 

 • annuals. 



3 Icevigatus, 4 distachyus, 5 alopecuroides, 6 pygmseus. 

 * * Style trifd. Akene triquetrous. 

 t Bachis of spikelet angled or margined^ not winged. 

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

 11 glaber. 



1 1 Bachis of S2ylkelet furnished toith decurrent^ membranous wings. 

 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; Fig. 362. 

 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, 

 Irown 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 the last. 



3. C. Isevig^atus, L. If 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, omte-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- , , - 

 bahj coast of Palestine and Svria inflorescence of 



