68 SPARGANIACEAE (jiUK-llEED FAMILY) 



1. TYPHA [Tourn.] L. Cat-tail Flag 



Flowers in a long and very dense cylindrical spike terminating the stem ; 

 the upper part consisting of stamens only, inserted directly on the axis, and 

 hitermixed with long hairs ; the lower part consisting of stipitate 1-celled ova- 

 vies, the stipes bearing club-shaped bristles, which form the copious down of 

 the fruit. Nutlets minute, very long-stalked. — Spathes merely deciduous 

 bracts, or none. Rootstocks creeping. Leaves long, sheathing the base of 

 the simple jointless stems, erect, thickish. Flowering in summer. {Tvcprf, the 

 old Greek name.) 



1. T. latifolia L. (Common Cat-tail.) vStout and tall (1-2 m. high), the 

 flat sheathing leaves 6-23 min. broad, exceeding the stem ; the staminate and 

 dark brown pistillate pai'ts of the spike (each 8-15 cm. long or more) usually 

 contiguous, the latter at length 2.5 cm. in diameter; pistillate flowers vnthout 

 bi'actlets ; stigma rhombic-lanceolate ; pollen-grains in fours. — In marshes, 

 throughout temperate N. A. (Cosmop.) 



2. T. angustif51ia L. Leaves narrower (6-12 mm. broad), somewhat con- 

 vex on the back ; pistillate and staminate parts of spike usually separated by a 

 short interval, the fertile portion becoming 10-12 ram. in diameter ; pollen- 

 grains simple; pistillate flowers ujith a linear stigma and a hair-like bractlet 

 slightly dilated at the summit. — S. Me. to N. C. and westw., less frequent than 

 the preceding, and mainly near the coast. (Eurasia, etc.) 



SPARGANIACEAE (Bcr-reed Family) 



Marsh or aquatic plants with alternate sessile linear 2-ranked leaves and 

 monoecious flowers in globular sessile or pedunculate heads. Upper heads bear- 

 ing sessile 3-androus naked flowers and minute scales irregularly interposed. 

 The lower heads consisting of numerous sessile or shortly pediceled pistillate 

 flowers with a calyx-like perianth of 3-6 linear or spatulate scales. Ovary 

 1-2-celled. Fniit obovoid or spindle-shaped, 1-2-seeded. 



1. SPARGANIUM [Tourn.] L. Bcr-reed 



Heads scattered along the upper part of the simple or sparingly branched 

 leafy stem, the bracts caducous or the lower persisting and leaf-like. — Perennials 

 with fibrous roots and creeping horizontal rootstocks. Flowering through the 

 summer. The fertile heads becoming bur-like from the divergent beaks, but 

 the pistils at maturity falling away separately. (Name ancient, probably from 

 ffxdpyavoi', a band, in allusion to the ribbon-like leaves.) 



Fertile flowers closely sessile ; fruit broadly obovoid 1. S. enrycarpum. 



Fertile flowers shortly pedicellate ; fruit fusiform. 

 Beak of fruit Ion;? and slender ; stigma linear. 

 Pistillate heads strictly axillary. 



Mature fruits dull ; stigma 1-2 mm. long 2. S, americnnv/m. 



Mature fruits lustrous : stigma 2..'>-4 irnn. long 3. S. lucidum. 



One or more of the pistillate heads supra-axillary. 



Erect plants of muddy shores ; leaf-blades translucent and reticulated 4. S. diversifolixtm. 

 Distinctly aquatic ; leaves with long floating opaque blades. 

 Achenes rather abruptly slender-beaked; leaf-blades 1.5-4 mm. 



broad; stigma rarely over 1.2 mm. long 5. S.angusti folium. 



Achenes gradually acuminate ; leaf-blades 4-9 ram. broad ; stigma 



1.5-2 mm. long 6. «?. simplex. 



Beak of fruit stouter and falcate or short and conical or none; stigma ovoid or oblong. 

 Fruiting heads 2 cm. in diam. ; beak gladiate-falcate ^. . . .7. S-fluctuana. 

 Fruiting heads 1 cm. in diam. 



Beak short, conical 8. 5. minimum. 



Beak none, stigma sessile 9. i*». hyperhoreuin. 



1. S. eurycarpum Engelm. Stems stout, erect (8-13 dm. high); leaves mostly 

 flat and nu*roiy keeled ; pistil attenuate into a sliort style bearing l.or 2 elongated 

 stigmas ; fruit heads 2-6 or more, 2-^3 cm. in diameter ; fruit angled, oftei. 



