Besliacea.] EESTlACEiE. 381 



to 3-celled, with 1 pendulous ovule in each cell. Styles or stigmas 3, simple 

 or 2-lobed. Fruit a capsule or a 1-seeded nut. Embryo lenticular on the 

 outside of the albumen, remote from the hilum. — Herbs, usually stiff. Leaves 

 narrow, parallel-veined, the sheaths split lengthwise. Flowering scapes or 

 peduncles usually with 1 or more sheathing scales. Mowers in terminal heads 

 or spikes, rarely paniculate. 



A considerable Order, widely distributed over a great part of the globe ; most abundant in 

 S. Africa or Australia, aud one genus within the tropics, but almost absent from Europe or 

 northern Asia. 



1. ERIOCAULON, Linn. 



Flowers sessile, in androgynous or rarely dioecious heads, with imbricated 

 bracts 1 under each flower, and a few outer ones empty. Male flowers : Peri- 

 anth of 6 or 4 segments ; the outer free or united, inner ones united at the 

 base into a solid stalk. Anthers 2-celled Female flowers : Perianth-segments 

 all distinct or the inner shortly united. Style single, with 3 or 2 stigmas. 

 Capsule 3- or 2-lobed, opening at the angles. — Aquatic or marsh plants. 

 Leaves all radical or crowded on a short stem. Scapes with 1 sheathing scale 

 or short leaf at the base and 1 terminal head. Male and female flowers irre- 

 gularly mixed in the Chinese species, the inner perianth-segments usually 

 bearing a small black gland. 



A large genus chiefly tropical in the New and the Old World, extending also into the 

 cooler regions of N. America, and one species crossing over to N.W. Europe. The greater 

 number of tropical American species have however been recently separated, by purely artifi- 

 cial characters, under the name of Papalanthus. 



Bracts coriaceous, more or less mealy-white at the tips. Flowers very 

 flat, the 2 outer segments winged (tall species). 

 Leaves linear-lanceolate, glabrous. Heads slightly mealy . . . 1. E.Wallichianum. 



Leaves linear, hairy. Heads very mealy 2. E. australe. 



Bracts thin, the floral ones transparent, glabrous or hairy. Perianth- 

 segments not winged (smaller species). 

 Heads above 2 lines diameter. Outer male perianth of 2 or 3 dis- 

 tinct segments. 

 Bracts shining. Outer male perianth of 2 segments ; inner lobes 



minute 3. E. truncatum. 



Bracts not conspicuous. Outer male perianth of 3 segments ; in- 

 ner lobes unequal, very plumose and exserted 4. E. cristatum. 



Heads not 2 lines diameter. Outer male perianth spathaceous, 3- 

 toothed (small slender species). 

 Outer female perianth of 2 slender segments, inner one wanting. 



Leaves radical 5. E. heteranthum. 



Outer female perianth of 3 obovate segments, inner of 3 spathu- 



late ones. Stem leafy at the base 6. E. setaceum. 



1. E.Wallichianum, Mart.; Wall. PI. As. Ear. t. 249; Kcern. in 

 Linnaa, xxvii. 687. Leaves radical, linear-lanceolate, very pointed, about 

 4 to 6 in. long and 2 to 3 lines broad. Scapes sometimes scarcely longer, 

 sometimes near 1 ft., scarcely angular. Flower-heads ovate-globose; the 

 scales very closely imbricated, coriaceous, broadly obovate, obtuse or with a 

 very short inflected point, and slightly mealy at the tip. Perianth very flat, 

 the 2 outer segments both in males and females boat-shaped with a winged 

 keel. Inner male perianth filiform, with 3 minute lobes and 6 stamens. In- 



