SPERMATOPHYTA CYPERACEAE SEDGES 



369 



regions. About 600 species of Cyperus, 200 of Scirpus, 200 of Rynchospora and 

 1,000 of Carex. The Papyrus (Cyperus Papyrus} of Africa and Sicily was 

 used by the ancients as writing material. Common rush (Scirpus lacustris), 

 a cosmopolitan plant found in water and marshes, is used for making mats 

 and baskets. The rhizome of Carex arenaria is used in medicine. 



Fig. 157. Sedge (Carex arenaria). 1. Flower- 

 ing plant. 2. Staminate flower with glume. 3. 

 Pistillate flower. 4. Pistil. 5. Bract of pistillate 

 flower. 6, 7. Staminate and pistillate flowers of 

 C. hirta. (After Wossidlo.) 



PRINCIPES 



Woody or herbaceous plants with endogenous stems; flowers in spikes, 

 generally on the plan of 3, free, regular or slightly irregular; stamens 3-9 or 

 numerous but generally 6; ovaries, free, 1-7-celled usually; fruit dry or a 



