FAMILIES OF ANGIOSPERMS. 



of Carex lupulina are taken from the soil carefully, we find that there is an 

 underground stem or rootstock which each year grows a few inches, 



forms new attachments by 

 roots to the soil, and thus 

 the plant may spread from 

 year to year. This under- 

 ground stem, as seen, has 

 only scaly leaves. The up- 

 right stems reach a height 

 of two to three feet, and are 

 prominently three-angled, as 

 are most of the species of 

 this large genus. The leaves 

 are three-ranked, and con- 

 sist of a long sheathing base 

 and a long narrow blade. 

 The flowers, as we see, are 



Fig. 547- 



Flowers of Carex lupulina; staminate flower-spike above, three 

 pistillate flower-spikes below. Details of pistillate and stami- 

 nate flowers shown at the right. 



clustered at the end of the stem, or sometimes additional ones arise in 

 the axils of the leaves lower down on the stem. The staminate flowers 

 form a slender, short spike, terminating the stem, while the pistillate flowers 

 form, several spikes arising as branches. The flowers are very much 

 reduced here, and each of the pistillate flowers consists of one pistil which 

 is surrounded by a flask-shaped scale, the perigynium. These perigynia 

 can be distinctly seen upon the spike. At the apex of the perigynia the 



