CYPERUS 



CYPERUS 



EE. Lvs. rigid: infl. congested; spikelets thicker; scales 

 2^2 lines long. 



8. pungens, Boeck. Roots of coarse lanate fibers: 

 st. 6-20 in. high, stiff, terete above: Ivs. several, with 

 conspicuous, loose, brownish sheaths, equaling the st. 



1194. Cyperus esculentus. Chufa. 



or shorter, narrow, ^ to % lines broad, thick and rigid : 

 umbel congested, often simple; spikelets 5-9 lines long, 

 lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, pale brown; scales firm, 

 with thin margins, obscurely carinate, inconspicuously 

 striate, apiculate; midrib obscure, close. N. Afr. and 

 S. W. Asia. By some authors united with C. conglom- 

 eratus, Rottb., under the latter name. There is some 

 reason to suspect that the plant in the trade under this 

 name may not be this species. 



cc. Rachis of spikelet with scarious, winged margin; 

 scales obtuse or obtusish, less overlapping: spike- 

 lets linear. 



D. Lvs. thick, glossy. 



9. lucidus, R. Br. Rhizomes short and thick: sts. 

 stout, 2-3 ft. or even 4 ft. high, sharply 3-angled: lys. 

 equaling the st. or longer, 3-6 lines wide, margins 

 scabrous; involucral Ivs. 3-6, the lower very broad, often 

 lJ^-3 ft. long: umbel large, lax, compound; rays many, 

 9 in. long or less; spikelets spicate, rich deep brown, 

 lustrous, linear, flattish, acute, 4-6 (rarely 7-8) lines 

 long; wings of rachis narrow; scales loosely imbricated, 

 few-nerved, 2 lines long. Austral. 



DD. Lvs. thinner, duller. 

 E. Rootstock long, stout, 2-2% lines thick. 



10. longus, Linn. Sts. 2-4 ft. high, acutely angled, 

 stoutish: TVS. several, with long sheaths, about equal- 

 ing the culm 2-4 lines wide; margins finely scabrous; 

 involucral bracts very long, often 8-24 in.: umbel lax, 

 the rays 12 in. or less long; spikelets 3-15 lines long, 

 linear, dull, dark chestnut-brown, rarely paler, slightly 

 compressed; scales 1 J4-1H lines long, scarcely carinate, 

 obscurely striate; midrib green. Eu. Cult, in Eu. 



EE. Rootstock long, slender, tuber-bearing. 

 F. Scales dark reddish brown. 



11. rotundus, Linn. NUT-GRASS. COCO-GRASS. 

 Rootstocks Y line thick: sts. 424 in. high, bulbous, 

 thickened at the base, rather slender, 3-angled: Ivs. 

 several, usually shorter than the st., only 1-2 (rarely 

 3) lines wide; margins finely scabrous; involucral 

 bracts 2-4, scarcely longer than the infl.: umbel lax; 

 rays few, 4 in. long or less; spikelets linear, 5-12 lines 

 long, inconspicuously spicate on the branches, few in a 

 cluster, dull; scales \% lines long, scarcely striate, 

 obscurely carinate; midrib green: achenes linear, 

 acute. Tropics and sub tropics. A weed southward. 



FF. Scales brownish chestnut or stramineous. 



12. esculentus, Linn. CHUFA. Fig. 1194; also Fig. 

 959. St. 8 in. to 3 ft. high, stoutish: Ivs. several, equal- 

 ing the st. or slightly shorter, rarely longer, 2-4 lines 

 wide; involucral Ivs. exceeding the infl.: umbel open; 

 rays ^-4 in. long; spikelets very numerous, spicate on 

 the branches, crowded, divaricate, brownish stramin- 

 eous, linear, 4-12 lines long, scarcely compressed; scales 

 lax, several-nerved, dull, rarely carinate; midrib some- 

 what green: achenes oblong, obtuse. Tropics and sub- 

 tropics. A weed in sandy cult, fields northward and 

 southward; rarely grown for the edible tubers. 



EEE. Rootstock globular: spikelets stramineous. 



13. strigdsus, Linn. Running rootstocks absent, not 

 tuber-bearing: sts. rather stout, 1-3 ft. high, sharply 

 3-angled; base bulbous: Ivs. numerous, usually equaling 

 the st., 2-4 lines wide, more or less scabrous; involucral 

 bracts 6-12 in. long, usually exceeding the infl. : umbel 

 open, rays several, 6 in. long or less; spikelets very 

 numerous, spicate on the branches, crowded, divaricate, 

 linear-subulate, 5-8 lines long, scarcely compressed; 

 scales 1J^ to 2 lines long, appressed, dull, striate; 

 midrib green. N. Amer. Hardy perennial, used for 

 the border of aquatic gardens. K. M. WIEGAND. 



1195. Cyphomandra betacea. (XYz) 



