CLASS in. ORDtRl.] CYPERUS. 45 



rally fertile, ec^ual. Bristles noue. Sti/le simple, deciduous. — 

 Name from nvirxfo-:, a little round vessel, which the roots of some 

 species are said to resemble. 



1. C. lon'giis, (Fig. 63.) stvect Cyperua, or Enylish Galiiujalc. Um- 

 bels doubly com pound, general involucre of several very long leafy 

 bracteas, partial ones small, spikelets linear-lanceolate, erect, 

 spreading, stem triangular. 



English Botany, t. IPOD. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 54. — Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 279. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 26. 



Root creeping, twisted, of a brown colour, very aromatic, and as- 

 tringent. Stem triangular, from two to three feet high, slender, erect, 

 leafy. Leaves long, keeled, nearly flat, the edges smooth, a bright green 

 colour. Umbel doubly compound, its partial stalks triangular, and 

 surrounded at the base with close membranous sheaths. Spikelets 

 narrow, from five to ten together, compressed, of numerous shining 

 brown, green-keeled (/lumes, arranged in two opposite closely imbricated 

 ranks. Seed pointed. Stiffuias three. 



Habitat. — Very rare. Marsh, near St. David's, and Walton-in- 

 Gordon, Somersetshire; near Seabrook, Kent; Boyton, Wilts; Guern- 

 sey. 



Perennial; flowering in July. 



2. C. fus'cus, (Fig. 64.) broini Cijperus. Umbels compound, invo- 

 lucre of three unequal leafy bracteas, spikelets linear-lanceolate, 

 glumes spreading, stem triangular. 



English Botany, Supplement, t. 2626. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 54. 

 —Lindley, Synopsis, p. 279. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 26. 



Root fibrous. Stems several, from four to six inclies long, smooth, 

 spreading, seldom erect, leafy at the base. Leaves narrow, radical, 

 sheathing at the base, shorter than the stems, acuminated, gracefully 

 curved. The longest leaf of the i7n-oliicre often half as long as the 

 stem. Umbel of about six spikelets, forming a compound terminal 

 cluster. Seed triangular, whh a simple beak. Stir/mas three, as long 

 as the filaments. 



Habitat. — Very rare. In marshy meadows, near I,ittle Chelsea. 



Annual ; flowering in August and September. 



The genus Cyperus is very large, containing about two hundred and 

 forty known species. Most of them are natives of the tropics, and gra- 

 dually diminish in number towards the colder regions. The two here 

 figured only are known as natives of England, and these found in its 

 southern counties, while not any are known in Scotland. Few of this 

 extensive genus are of much value, either as food or medicine. The 

 roots of Cyperus lonyus have a pleasant odour similar to ^'iolets, are 

 bitter, and have been esteemed as tonics and stomachics. C. e.'iculen'- 

 tus bears a number of small tubers upon its subterraneous stems, 



