538 Cyperacete. 



of this order inhabit marshy places, and their herbage being- 

 coarse and rough is little sought after by cattle. There are 

 upwards of 100 genera, including about 2,000 species, occurring 

 in all parts of the world. Ten genera are represented in 

 Britain by about 100 species. Some of the larger-growing 

 species are stately or elegant, and may be introduced with effect 

 in marshy spots of the wilderness or on the margins of streams 

 and lakes. The genus Carex, distinguished by its utriculate 

 fruit, includes about one half of the species, some of which are 

 amongst the most conspicuous and graceful of the hardy 

 members of this order. They have commonly dense cylindrical 

 eventually drooping spikes of flowers on slender stalks. (7. 

 paludosa, C. pseudo-Gyp er us, and V. riparia are river-side 

 species frequent in South Britain, the latter growing to a 

 height of 5 or 6 feet in some localities. C. pendula is a 

 common woodland species growing in dense tufts with large 

 broad foliage and flowering stems, 5 to 7 feet, readily dis- 

 tinguished from all other native species by the very long (often 

 6 inches) and slender pendulous spikelets on long slender 

 peduncles. C. sylvdtica is very abundant in woods and copses, 

 and remarkable for its slender habit and pale yellowish-green 

 herbage. A variegated variety of G. Japonica is cultivated. 



The genus Scirpus has a cyrnose or fascicled inflorescence. 

 $. lacustris, the Bulrush, is a conspicuous semi-aquatic species 

 with terete spongy nearly leafless stems 8 to 10 feet high, in 

 rich swamps. S. sylvdticus is frequently met with in damp 

 shady situations, and is remarkable for its leafy stems and very 

 large bracteate cymes. Eriophorum, Cotton-grass, is readily 

 known by the oval or oblong spikes, in which the bristles are 

 exceedingly slender and silvery. Gladium Mariscus and 

 Cyperus longus are tall-growing rather rare indigenous plants 

 of this order. 



ORDER XV1IL 



Usually tufted herbs with slender terete or compressed 

 jointed stems, hollow between the joints. Leaves linear, 

 sheathing at the base; sheath split, and generally furnished 

 with a small scarious scale (ligule) or tuft of hairs at its 

 junction with the blade. Inflorescence spicate, racemose or 

 paniculate. Anthers versatile. This is one of the most 

 important assemblages of plants in the Vegetable Kingdom, 



