CAT-TAIL FAMILY. 



63 



2. Typha angustifdlia L. Narrow-leaved 

 Cat-tail. (Fig. 137.) 



Typha angusli/olia L. Sp. PI. 971. 1753. 



Stems slender, 5-io high. Leave* mo*tly nar- 

 rower than those of the preceding pccie, a' 7 -*" 

 wide; spikes light brown, the staininate and pfetil- 

 late portions usually distant, the two together 

 sometimes 15' long, the pistillate, when m. 

 2"-8" in diameter, and provided with l,ra< 

 stigmas linear or linear-oblong ; pollen -grain* sim- 

 ple; fruit not furrowed, not bursting in water; outer 

 coat of the seed not separable. 



Abundant in marshes along the Atlantic Court from 



Nova Scotia to Florida and Cuba, but aUo occurring 

 rather rarely inland. Also in Kurope and Ania. Junr 

 July. Fruit, Aug.-Sept 



Family 2. SPARGANIACEAE Agardh, Theor. Syst. PI. 13. 1858." 



BUR-REED FAMILY. 



Marsh or pond plants with creeping rootstocks and fibrous r<x>t-. erect or 

 floating simple or branched stems, and linear alternate leaves, sheathing at the 

 base. Flowers monoecious, densely crowded in globose heads at the up|K.-r part 

 of the stem and branches, the staminate heads uppermost, sessile or peduncle*!. 

 Spathes linear, immediately beneath or at a distance below the head. Perianth 

 of a few irregular chaffy scales. Stamens commonly 5, their filaments distim-i 

 anthers oblong or cuneate. Ovary sessile, mostly i -celled. Ovul< ;ous. 



Fruit mostly i -celled, nutlike. Embryo nearly straight, in copious endosperm. 

 The family comprises only the following genus. 



i. SPARGANIUM L. Sp. PI. 971. 1753. 

 Characters of the family. [Greek, referring to the ribbon-like leaves.] 

 About 10 species, of temperate and cold regions. Besides the following . one occurs in California. 

 Fruit sessile. i. -S. fm\i,irf>um. 



Fruit stalked. 



Inflorescence branching. 2. S. androcladmm. 



Inflorescence simple. 



Stamiiiate heads 4-6, pistillate 2-6, 5" -8" in diameter. 3. 5. sim- 

 Staminate heads 1-2, pistillate 1-3, 2" -5" in diameter. minimum. 



i. Sparganium eurycarpum Engelm. Broad-fruited Bur- reed. < I : ig. 138. 



Sf>arganium eurycarpum Engelm. in A. Gray, 

 Man. Ed. 2, 430. 1856. 



Stemsstout, 3-8 high, branching. Leaves 

 linear, flat, slightly keeled beneath, the low- 

 est 3 ~5 l n g. tne upper shorter ; staminate 

 heads numerous ; pistillate heads 2-4 on the 

 stem or branch, sessile or more commonly 

 peduncled, hard, compact and io // -i6 // in di- 

 ameter when mature ; style i ; stigmas 1-2 ; 

 nutlets sessile, 3 // -5 // long, obtusely 4-5- 

 angled, narrowed at the base, the top rounded, 

 flattened or depressed, abruptly tipped with 

 the style ; scales as long or nearly as long as 

 the fruit and as many as its angles, often with 

 2 or 3 other exterior ones, somewhat spatu- 

 late, the apex rounded, denticulate or eroded. 



In marshes and along streams, Newfoundland 

 to British Columbia, south to Virginia, Mis- 

 souri, Utah and California. Ascends to 2100 ft. 

 in Virginia. May-Aug. 



*Text contributed by the late Rev. THOMAS 



MOROXG. 



