264 



THE SEDGES. 



sheaths.* Being, like the 

 Grasses, almost ubiquitous, 

 specimens may be culled 

 in great variety, during 

 Spring and Summer, in 

 the meadows, fields, open 

 woods, or even in the gar- 

 dens. 



Analysis. GENERIC 

 CHARACTERS. Let us be- 

 gin with the Galingales 

 a genus of Sedges known 

 at sight by their terminal 

 umbels of flattened (%-edged) spikes. In 

 these specimens, fresh or dried, the culms 

 (so the peculiar, jointed stems of grass- 

 like plants are called) are triangular, 

 erect, leafy below, solid with pith. The 

 Leaves are linear, parallel-veined, sup- 

 ported on sheaths which are closed 

 around the culm below, never split as 

 in the Grasses. 



Inflorescence. The umbel is sub- 

 tended by an involucre composed of sev- 

 eral unequal leaves, 

 and its very unequal 

 rays (peduncles) are 

 each sheathed at the 

 base. 

 The Flowers occupy the spikes, which 



FIG. LXX. Cype'rus 

 di&ndrus: /,a flower; gl, 

 glume ; Ach., achenium. 



* The student will not mistake for Sedges those 

 Rushes which have regular, 3-parted, green flowers with 

 8 sepals, 3 petals, 6 stamens, 3 stigma*, and several seeds 5, a flower of a Rush 

 in the capsule, as seen much magnified in the cut. (Luzula). 



