52 ERIOCAULEE (Brown). 
into 3 simple or bifid, filiform branches, with or without 3 other 
branches or appendages alternating with them or arising from the 
style below them; ovules solitary in each cell, pendulous, ortho- 
albumen opposite the eee 
Perennial or annual herbs, growing in water, swamps, bogs, or on dry groun nd, 
stemless 1% ey simple or branched leafy stems ; leaves linear 2 pac te, alternate, 
arrange ense or lax rosette or scattered a along the stem; scapes one to 
many, shits with a tubular peat at the base, one- or rarely several-headed ; heads 
monecious or rarely with the sexes in se arate h ds ; outer or involu Iucral bracts 
u a 
r rigid; flowering bracts solitary under each flower, variable in form, 
often ciliate or hairy . — apex, rarely absent ; receptacle flat, convex, subglobose, 
or rang ge g one r villose; flowers usually very numerous, very fbr or 
the 
acy e males i ‘t e central part, or both sexes irregularly intermingled, rare 
separated in distinct fails: 
Distris. Genera 6. Species about 350. Found in all warm climates, most 
numerous in Tropical America, very few in the ate ate r te ns. 
Coe double the number of the petals, 4 or 6, or fewer by selenite in two 
alternating series. Style-branches 3, without abibrating appendag 
I. Eriocaulon.—Petals free, sometimes rudimentary, or rarely absent. 
II. Mesanthemum. Tie + connate into a cylindric tube, but with free claws im 
the female flower: 
* Stamens in one series, equal in number to the io and, oe ite to thei. 
Style- ae a 6, 3 of them stpinastones simple or bifid, others Beo'é 
nating w hem er pasty g from the style liaise down, psi 
usually Gore and s 
III. Pepalanthus.—Petals of the male flowers connate into a minute funne 
shaped tube, of the amar flowers free or connate into a tube at their middle © 
upper part, with free claw 
I. ERIOCAULON, Linn. 
Sepals 2-8, free, or in the male flowers variously connate, concave — 
or boat-shaped, rounded or keeled on the back ; apex bearded, oot 
ciliate or bearded. Sta n two series, double the number of the 
seem or by abortion fewer; anthers 2-celled. Staminodes 0 the ’ 
fem owers none. Ovary = ae style-branches 3, simple, — 
orm, without alternating appen ; 
or Hh ne’ 8 ponte usually stemless pene eespitose, _ sp leaves all 
vitieal, w — a Spi ‘or neha d leafy stem ~_— oe 
Hee long pri the lee eg ds globose, nee ae or chighe: werlng 
bracts oblon 
or obovate, fattish or coneave. The other characters as for the 4 
rder. a 
