SEDGE FAMILY. 

 28. Scirpus cyperinus (L. ) Kunth. Wool-gtn* 



Eriophorum cyperinum I v . Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 77. 1762. 

 Scirpus cyperinus Kunth, Knum. 2: 170. 1837. 

 Scirpus Eriophorum var. cyperinus A. Gray, Man Kd 



2, 501. 1850. 



Perennial by stout rootstocks, culms stout or slen- 

 der, smooth, obtusely triangular or nearly terete, 

 stiff, leafy, 2-6 tall. Leaves elongated, *"-$" wide, 

 rough-margined, the upper often overtopping the 

 culm, those of the involucre 3-6, the longer much ex- 

 ceeding the inflorescence; umbel terminal, com- 

 pound, the rays at length somewhat drooping; spike- 

 lets ovoid-oblong, obtuse, i>^ // -2^ // long, in capitate 

 clusters of 3-15 at the ends of the raylets; scales ovate 

 or lanceolate, acute or subacute; bristles 6, entangled, 

 smooth, much longer than the achene, much exserted 

 beyond the scales and grayish-brown at maturity; 

 stamens 3; style 3-cleft; achene 3-angled, oblong, 

 slender-beaked, nearly white. 



In swamps, Newfoundland to Ontario, Virginia and 

 Kentucky. Aug.-Sept. 



Scirpus cyperinus Eriophorum (Michx. ) Britton, Trim- N V An,! \ 

 Scirpus Eriophorum Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i: 33. 1803. 



Eriophorum cyperinum. var. la.rum Wats. & CoulL in A. ' Kd. 6, 582. 



Spikelets mostly peduncled. Range of the type, but extending to Florida 





St. 189*. 

 1890. 



10. ERIOPHORUM L. Sp. PI. 52. 1753. 



Bog sedges, perennial by rootstocks, the culms erect, triangular or nearly terete, the 

 leaves linear, or i or 2 of the upper ones reduced to bladeless sheaths. Spikelets tennis*!. 

 solitary, capitate or umbelled, subtended by a i -several -leaved involucre, or naked. Bnlrt 

 spirally imbricated, usually all fertile. Flowers perfect. Perianth of 6 or numerous filiform 

 smooth soft bristles, which are white or brown, straight or crisped, and exserted much 

 beyond the scales at maturity. Stamens 1-3. Style 3-cleft. Achene 3-angled, oblong, ellip- 

 soid or obovoid. [Greek, signifying wool-bearing, referring to the soft bristles.] 



About 10 species, in the northern hemisph-Tc. Resides i IK foil. \lasfc* 



Spikelet solitary; involucral leaf short or none. 



Bristles only 6, white, crisped, very long. i*. 



Bristles numerous, straight or slightly crisped. 

 Bristles bright white. 



Culm with 2 inflated bladeless sheaths; achent- obovoid, obtu-w t^tmalmm 



Only the upper sheath bladeless, or all blade-bearing; achene linear-oblong, sent*. 



Bristles reddish -brown. 

 Spikelets several, umbellate or capitate; involucre i-4-leaved. 



Achene obovoid, obtuse; spikelets umbellate. 



Achene linear-oblong, acute; spikelets capitate or some of tlu-ir. 

 Leaves channeled; bristles 4-6 times as long as tin- -ralf. bright 

 Leaves flat; bristles 3 times as long as the scale, brown (rarely 



i. Eriophorum alpinum L. 



Alpine Cotton-grass. 



Eriiiplmnim alpinum I. Sj> I'l. JJ. IJJJ. 



Perennial by short rootstocks, sending op nnrorr- 

 ous filiform triangular roughish culms. V-\& Ugh. 

 Leaves subulate, 3"-io" long, triangular, than- 

 neled, borne very near the base of Ihe cult: 

 lower sheaths often scarious and blsdeleas; spikrl* 

 solitary, terminal, small, erect; involncrml 

 ulate, mostly shorter than the spikelet, 

 wanting; young spikelet ovoid-oblong. snUcntr 

 scales oblong lanceolate, yellowish-brown, firm, ob- 

 tuse or subacute, the midvein slender; bristles 6 

 white, crisped, 4-7 times as long as the scale; acbeae 

 narrowly obovoid-oblong, brown. apicuUtc. dnll. 



In bogs and on high mountain*. NewfvjJliJsd to 



Hudson Bay and tin- N,.rthwcl Tcrj 

 \..tt and Mr 



mont, northern 

 European'' turner. 



18 



