SEDGK FAMILY. 



8. FIMBRISTYLIS Vahl, Enum. a: 285. 



Annual or perennial sedges. Culms leafy below. Spikelets umbellate or r 

 terete, severs 1 to many-flowered, subtended by a i-tnany-leved involucre, their atakaTEtiK 

 imbricated all around, mostly deciduous, all fertile. Perianth none Stamms 

 2-3-cleft, pubescent or glabrous, its base much enlarged, falling awav from UM awrafe 4 

 the achene at maturity. Achene lenticular, biconvex, or 3-anglcd rrtirulalcd nan* 

 longitudinally ribbed or striate in our species. [Greek, in allusion to the frWr 

 some species.] 



A large genus, the species widely distributed in temperate and tropical nrcioaa. - -" ^ 



following, some 4 others occur in the southern and western part* ,,f North AHICTI, 

 Style 2-cleft; achene lenticular or biconvrx. 



Culms 8'-3 tall; spikelets umbellate; style mostly pubescent 

 Perennial; leaves involute. 



Scales coriaceous, shining, glabrous. 

 Scales membranous, dull, puberulent. 

 Annual; roots fibrous; leaves flat. 



Culms i'-4' tall, very slender; spikelets capitate; style glabrous below 

 Style 3-cleft; achene 3-angled. 



til**,* 

 ^l 



5. F. //, 



Stiff KiinlirM\lis. (Fig. 604.) 



i. Fimbristylis spadicea (L>) Vahl. 



ScirpNsspadiceus L. Sp. PI. 51. 1753. 

 Fimbristylis spadicea Vahl, Enurn. 2: 294. 1806. 



Perennial by a thickened base, glabrous, 

 culms stiff, slender, 3-angled, wiry, i-3 tall, 

 usually longer than the strongly involute rigid 

 leaves. Leaves about i" wide when unrolled, 

 their sheaths dark brown; leaves of the involu- 

 cre 3-6, erect, the longer sometimes exceeding 

 the usually compound umbel; umbel several- 

 rayed, the rays nearly erect, 2 / -6 / long; cen- 

 tral spikelets of the umbels and umbellets ses- 

 sile, the others pedicelled; spikelets ovoid or 

 ovoid-cylindric, acute, 2^ // -6 // long, about i" 

 in diameter; scales oval, obovate, or orbicular, 

 obtuse or subacute, coriaceous, glabrous, shin- 

 ing, dark brown with a green midvein ; stamens 

 2; style 2-cleft; achene lenticular, obovate, 

 brown, reticulated. 



In marshes and shallow water, Virginia to Flor- 

 ida, near the coast. Widely distributed in tropical 

 America. July-Sept. 



2. Fimbristylis castanea (Michx.) Vahl. Marsh Fimbristyli>. (Fig. 605.) 



Scirpuscastanftts Michx. Fl. B>- tin. 



Fimbristylis castanta Vahl, Knum : 190. lint 

 Fimbristylis spadicea var. fa*la*f* A. Cray. Ma*. 



Ed. 5, 566. 1867. 



Perennial by a thick base, culms slea>)- 

 angled, 8 / -2 tall, usually exceeding the kavca. 

 Leaves involute, less than i" wide when OB- 

 rolled, their sheaths green and more or lea 

 pubescent; leaves of the involucre -4. abort; 

 umbel simple or compound, the raya Jf'-f 

 long; central spikelets seawle; spikelets obkf . 

 obtuse or subacute, 3"- 5 

 diameter; scales thin, brown with a lighter 

 midvein, broadly oblong or nearly orbkmtor. 

 dull, puberulent, obtuse or mucron > 

 2-3; style 2-cleft; achene obovate or 

 biconvex, pale brown, longitudinally 

 and reticulated. 



On aall Ml (! onthcrn New York to FVfWIa 

 and Louisiana. Also >" " 



from Michigan a- 

 and in tropical America. Julr-SepC 



