68 Cyperaceae 



1-3, narrowly linear, shorter than the stem, keeled; involucral 

 bract solitary, leaf-like, 4-10 cm. long; spikelets appearing as if 

 lateral, sessile in capitate clusters of 1-7, acute, 8-16 mm. long; 

 scales broadly ovate, brown, often emarginate or sharply 2-cleft, 

 the midvein extended into a subulate awn, the margins scarious, 

 ciliate or glabrous; bristles 2-6, retrorsely barbed, shorter than 

 or equaling the achene ; style usually 2-cleft ; achene obovate, 

 plano-convex, smooth, dark brown, mucronate. (S. pungens Vahl.) 



Occasional on river bottoms about Los Angeles; Santa Ana; San Diego. 

 April-July. 



3. S. Olneyi Gray. Perennial by long stout rootstocks ; stems 

 stout, 6-25 dm. high; sharply 3-angled with concave sides; leaves 

 1-3, 3-12 cm. long, or sheaths sometimes leafless; involucral 

 bract stout, erect, 1-3 cm. long; spikelets appearing as if lateral, 

 capitate in dense clusters of 5-12, oblong or obovoid-oblong, 

 obtuse, 5-8 mm. long; scales oval or orbicular, dark brown with a 

 green midvein, emarginate or mucronulate, glabrous; bristles 

 usually 6, slightly shorter than or equaling the achene, retrorsely 

 barbed ; stamens 3; styles 2-cleft; achene obovate, plano-convex, 

 brown, mucronate. 



Common in marshes and along running steams throughout our range. 

 June-September. 



4. S. lacustris occidentalis Wats. Stems stout from creeping 

 rootstocks, terete or rarely obscurely 3-sided, 1-3 m. high, leafless 

 or the basal sheaths bearing a short nearly terete leaf; involucral 

 bract stout, shorter than the inflorescence; spikelets numer- 

 ous, scattered or more or less clustered in an irregularly com- 

 pound umbel, oblong-rovoid, 6-10 mm. long; scales broadly ovate, 

 obtuse, usually pubescent; bristles 6, equaling or longer than 

 the achene, slender, retrorsely barbed; style 2-cleft; achene 

 obovate, plano-convex, abruptly mucronate, grayish. 



Common along streams and marshes. This and the next are commonly 

 called " Tule." June-September. 



5. S. Californicus (C. A. Myer) Britton. Much resembling 

 the last in habit and size ; stems obtusely 3-angled ; involucral 

 bract very short, stoutly subulate; umbel compound; spikelets 

 6-10 mm. long, oblong; scales brown, ovate, awn-pointed by the 

 excurrent midvein; bristles shorter than the achene, rather 

 stout, strongly ciliate at least below; style 2-cleft; achene obo- 



