CYPERUS 



CYPERUS 



941 



perianth, borne in small, compressed spikes, which are 

 variously aggregated in compound umbels, the latter 

 surrounded by foliaceous bracts; styles and stamens 3. 

 A few are cult, in jardinieres, aquatic gardens and 

 aquaria. Several others are pests in cult, fields. P. 3567. 



alternifolius, 3. 

 eompressus, 7. 

 conglomerates, 8. 

 diffusus, 6. 

 elegans, 6. 

 esculentus, 12. 



INDEX. 



fertilis, 5. 

 flabclliformis, 2. 

 gracilis, 3. 

 laxus, 6. 

 longus, 10. 

 lucidus, 9. 



natalensis, 4. 

 Papyrus, 1. 

 pungens, 8. 

 rotundus, 11. 

 strigosus, 13. 

 variegatus, 3. 



A. Basal Ivs. much reduced or wanting. 



B. Umbel-rays nearly 100, much longer than the 3-10 



involucral Ivs. 



1. Papyrus, Linn. (Papyrus Antiqubrum, Willd.). 

 EGYPTIAN PAPER PLANT. PAPYRUS. Cespitose, strict, 

 tall and stout, 4-8 ft. high: st. obtusely 3-angled, 

 smooth: involucral Ivs. only 3-10, small, 3-6 in. long, 

 3-12 lines wide, lanceolate, acute: primary rays of the 

 umbel very numerous, slender, furrowed, equal and 

 drooping, 10-20 in. long; secondary bracts prominent, 

 filiform, 1-6 in. long; spikelets clustered and sessile, 

 pale chestnut; scales obtuse, rachis strongly winged. 

 Egypt, Palestine. Gn. 30, p. 348; 57, p. 105. G.M. 

 40:799. G.W. 2, p. 571. For aquaria and damp soil. 

 Not hardy N. 



BB. Umbel-rays 25 or less. 



c. Involucral Ivs. very numerous, somewhat separated, 

 much exceeding the umbel; rachis scarcely winged. 



D. Scales broadly ovate: Ivs. scabrous throughout. 



2. flabelliformis, Rottb. Rhizome horizontal, sto- 

 loniferous, stout: st. stout, spongy at base, 2-4 ft. high, 

 obtusely angled: involucral Ivs. 15-25, 2-8 lines wide, 

 6-16 in. long, strongly nerved or plicate: umbel lax, 

 about a third as long as involucre; spikelets very 

 numerous, elliptic-oblong, very flat, lustrous, 2^-3J^j 

 lines long; scales firm, lustrous, scarcely striate, cari- 

 nate, barely acute, closely imbricated, pale brown with 

 dark brown area on each side. Afr. Rare in American 

 trade. Tall and palm-like; used by the natives for 

 wickerwork; very ornamental in water-gardens. 



DD. Scales lanceolate: Ivs. scabrous only at apex. 



3. alternifdlius, Linn. UMBRELLA PLANT. UMBRELLA 

 PALM. Fig. 1193. Cespitose, strict, 1-4 ft. high: st. 

 nearly terete, ribbed, smooth and slender: involucral 

 Ivs. about 20, spreading or slightly drooping, linear, 

 4-8 in. long, 2-5 lines wide, plain: umbel open; rays 

 only 1-3 in. long; spikelets numerous, ovate-lanceolate 

 acute, very flat, 2 lines long, pale brown suffused with 

 darker brown, dull; scales thin, very acute, somewhat 

 nerved. Madagascar. Much used for aquaria and 

 jardinieres. Gn. 35, p. 573. A.G. 17:57. V. 4:159; 

 5:39. Var. variegatus, Hort. St. and Ivs. striated with 

 white, sometimes entirely white. Var. gracilis, Hort. 

 Plant smaller and more slender: involucral Ivs. much 

 narrower and shorter, and not so spreading. The 

 above description is from Boeckeler, and from a speci- 

 men from Madagascar. The plant in cult, under the 

 name C. alternifolius may not be that species. The 

 Ivs. are too long, too scabrous and too veiny; and the 

 spikelets are elliptic-oval, or oval, 2 lines long, and have 

 broader and more closely overlapping scales than in 

 the typical form. The illustrations cited are probably 

 of the garden plant. 



cc. Involucral Ivs. about 3, contiguous, shorter than 

 umbel; rachis strongly winged. 



4. natalensis, Hochst. Rhizome long, stout and hard, 

 2 lines thick, scaly: st. solitary, 2-3 ft. high, the size 

 of a goose-quill, triangular: Ivs. 2-6 in. long, often 

 wanting; involucral Ivs. 3, only 1-3 in. long: umbel 

 rather dense; spikelets 5-9 (rarely 12) lines long, linear- 



lanceolate, scarcely compressed, rigid; scales obtuse, 

 not carinate, nerved, shining, pale or brownish. Natal. 

 Decorative. Not hardy. 



AA. Basal Ivs. well developed. 



B. Sts. very short, 3-5 in. high: umbel-rays up to 8 ft. 

 long, weak, decumbent. 



5. fertilis, Boeck. Roots fibrous: Ivs. numerous, 

 about equaling the st., 3-7 lines broad, margins strongly 

 scabrous; involucral Ivs. 6-7, short: rays flaccid, pendu- 

 lous, often rooting at apex; spikelets few, ochraceous or 

 olive, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, slightly 

 compressed, 8-10-fld., 3-4 lines long; scales obtuse, 

 nerved. W. Afr. G.W. 8, p. 523. Recently intro., and 

 excellent for hanging-baskets. The umbel-rays often 

 bear plantlets instead of spikelets. 



11Q3. Cyperus alternifolius or umbrella plant. 



BB. Sts. longer than the umbel-rays. 

 C. Rachis of spikelet wingless: scales broad, much over- 

 lapping, acute or mucronate: spikelets lanceolate 

 or lance-oblong. 



D. Involucral bracts 2-6 lines broad, about 6-12 

 in number. 



6. diff&sus, Vahl '(C. elegans, Hort. C. laxus, 

 Hort.). Roots fibrous: st. solitary, 1-3 ft. high: basal 

 Ivs. many ; equaling the st., 2-7 lines broad; margin 

 scabrous; involucral Ivs. 4-15 in. long, 2-6 lines broad, 

 longer than the infl.: umbel diffuse; spikelets greenish 

 yellow or pale brown, linear oblong or ovate-lanceolate, 

 3-8 lines long; scales loose, soft, dull; midrib deeply 

 striate, cuspidate. Tropics. G.C. II. 1874:99; III. 13: 

 41. For table decoration. As now interpreted, C. 

 elegans, Linn., is a more rigid plant with narrower Ivs. 



DD. Involucral bracts 1% lines broad, or less, 3-6 in 

 number. 



E. Lvs. flaccid: infl. usually open; spikelets very flat; 

 scales 1% lines long. 



7. eompressus, Linn. Roots fibrous: st. cespitose, 

 2-16 in. high: Ivs. 2-3, slightly shorter than the st., 

 scabrous only near apex: umbel of several pedunculate, 

 sessile heads, or reduced to 1 sessile head; spikelets 

 lance-oblong or lance-linear, 4-12 lines long; scales soft, 

 carinate, acuminate, striate close. Tropics. Cult, in 

 Eu. 



