CLASS HI. ORDER I.J BLYSMOS, 55 



(luous. Fruit tii^ped with a short point. — Name from eXoj, a 

 marsh, and ystro;, near ox neighhoiir ; on account of the species 

 being found near or in the neighbourhood of marshes. 



1. E.flu'itans, Link. (Fig. 81.) floating Water-rush. Stem branched, 

 leafy, flower stems alternate, compressed, and naked, spike ovate, 

 of few flowers, glumes obtuse. 



Helio'giton flu'itans, Lindley, Synopsis, p. 283. — Scir'pus flu'itans, 

 Linn. English Botany, t. 216. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 57. — Eleo'cha- 

 ris flu'itans, Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 31. 



Stems long, slender, zigzag, mostly floating on water, and emitting 

 roots at intervals from the joints. Flowering stems and branches alter- 

 nate, the former from two to four inches long, erect, frequently swelled 

 in the middle; contracted at the apex, and bearing a small oval spike. 

 The /cares long, narrow, keeled, sheathing at the base, and spreading 

 at nearly right angles, especially in the upper part, the lower ones nar- 

 rower, longer, floating on the water. Glumes nearly equal, obtuse, 

 pale green. Style short. Stigmas two, long, feathery. Fruit pale, 

 obovate, with three obtuse angles, tipped ^vith the short narrow base of 

 the style, and without bristles at the base. 



Habitat. — In clear pools, ditches, and lakes, and in similar situations 

 ■which are occasionally dried up ; not common. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



This species, although capable of existing several months in damp 

 situations without water, is nevertheless mostly found floating on the 

 surface of water on the margins of pools, &c. It is the only British 

 species of the genus, and was arranged with Eleocharis, from which, 

 however, it greatly difi"ers in habit. 



GENUS XII. BLYS'MUS. Panzer. Blysmus. 



Nat. Ord. Cy'perace^. 



Gen. Char. Spike terminal, compressed. Spikelets bracteated, ar- 

 ranged in a distichous manner on a slightly zigzag rachis. Glumes 

 of one valve, imbricated on all sides, outer ones the largest, barren. 

 Bristles often absent. Fruit compressed, terminated by the taper- 

 ing persistent style. — Name from jSAyc-ju.o,-, quod ex ^Xxj^u a 

 source or spring, near which the species usually grow. 



L B. compress' us, 'Pd.xiz. (Fig. 82.) broad-leaved Blysmus. Bractea of 



the lower spikelet foliaceous, mostly longer than the spike, spikelets 



many-fluwered, bristles six, leaves flat, linear, rough on the edges. 



Lindley, Synopsis, p. 880. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 29. — 



Schce'nus compress'us, Linn. English Botany, t. 791. — Scir'pus cari'~ 



cinus, English Flora, vol. i. p. 59. 



