QS SPARGANIACEAE (bUR-REED FAMILY^ 



1. TYPHA [Tourn.] L. Cat-tail Flag 



Flowers in a long and very dense cylindrical spike terminating the stem; 

 the upper part consisting of stamens only, inserted directly on the axis, and 

 intermixed with long hairs ; the lower part consisting of stipitate 1-celled ova- 

 ries, the stipes bearing club-shaped bristles, which form the copious down of 

 the fruit. Nutlets minute, very long-stalked. — Spathes merely deciduous 

 bracts, or none. Rootstocks creeping. Leaves long, sheathing the base of 

 the simple jointless stems, erect, thickish. Flowering in summer. fJTu(pr), the 

 old Greek name.) 



1. T. latifMia L. (Common Cat-tail.) Stout and tall (1-2 m. high), the 

 flat sheathing leaves 6-28 mm. broad, exceeding the stem ; the staminate and 

 dark brown pistillate parts of the spike (each 8-15 cm. long or more) usually 

 contiguous, the latter at length 2.5 cm. in diameter; pistillate flowers without 

 bractlets; stigma rhombic-la, iceoldte ; pollen-grains in fours. — In marshes, 

 throughout temperate N. A. (Cosmop.) 



2. T. angustifblia L. Leaves narrower (6-12 mm. broad), somewhat con- 

 vex on the back ; pistillate and staminate parts of spike usualltj separated hy a 

 short interval, the fertile portion becoming 10-12 mm. in diameter; pollen- 

 grains simple; pistillate flowers with a linear stigma and a hair-like hractlet 

 slightly dilated at the summit. —S. Me. to N. C. and westw., less frequent than 

 the preceding, and mainly near the coast. (Eurasia, etc.) 



SPARGANlACEAE (Bur-reed Family) 



Marsh or aquatic plants with alternate sessile linear 2-ranked leaves ana 

 monoecious flowers in globular sessile or pedunculate heads. Upper heads bear- 

 ing sessile 3-androus naked flowers and minute scales irregularly interposed. 

 The lower heads consisting of numerous sessile or shortly pediceled pistillate 

 flowers with a calyx-like perianth of 3-6 linear or spatulate scales. Ovary 

 1-2-celled. Fruit obovoid or spindle-shaped, 1-2-seeded. 



1. SPARGANIUM [Toux-n.] L. Bdr-reed 



Heads scattered along the upper part of the simple or sparingly branched 

 leafy stem, the bracts caducous or the lower persisting and leaf-like. -^ Perennials 

 with fibrous roots and creeping horizontal rootstocks. Flowering through the 

 summer. The fertile heads becoming bur-like from the divergent beaks, bat 

 the pistils at maturity falling away separately. (Name ancient, probably from 

 airdpyavov, a band, in allusion to the ribbon-like leaves.) 



Fertile flowers closely sessile ; fruit broadly obovoid 1. S. eurycarpum. 



Fertile flowers shortly pedicellate ; fruit fusiform. 

 Beak of fruit long- and slender ; stigma linear. 

 Pistillate heads strictly axiflary. 

 Mature fruits dull ; stigma 1-2 mm. long . . . . • . 2. S. americanum. 

 Mature fruits lustrous; stigma 2.5-4 mm. long ..... 3. S. lueidum. 

 One or more of the pistillate heads supra-axillary. 

 Erect plants of muddy shores ; leaf-blades translucent and reticulated 4. S. diversifolium. 

 Distinctly aquatic ; leaves with long floating opaque blades. 

 Achenes rather abruptly slender-beaked ; leaf-blades 1.5-4 mm. 



broad; stigma rarely over 1.2 mm. long 5. S. an gusU folium 



Achenes gradually acuminate; leaf-blades 4-9 mm. broad; stigma 



1.5-2 mm. long ^. S. simplex. 



Beak of fruit stouter and falcate or short and conical or none \ stigma ovoid or oblong. 

 Fruiting heads 2 cm. in diam. ; beak gladiate-falcate ^. . . . T. S. fiuctuans. 

 Fruiting heads 1 cm. in diam. 



Beak short, conical , . . ' 8. „S. minimum. 



Beak none, stigma sessile 9. -S. hyperhoreum. 



1. S. eurycarpum Kngelm. Stems stout, erect (8-13 dm. high) ; leaves mostly 

 flat and merely keeled ; pistil attenuate into a short style bearing 1 or 2 elongated 

 stigmas ; fruit heads 2-6 or more, 2-3 cm. in diameter : fruit angled, often 



