CYPERACE/'E. 69 



plum. Stem 18 inches to 3 feet high or more. Leaves lonof, firm, deep 

 green, shining, 6 inches to 2 feet long by J- to I inch broad ; lowest bract 

 3 inches to 1 foot long, the second and third ones shorter. Spikes ^ to 

 1 }, inch long. Glumes very dark brown, Avith the midrib excurrcnt 

 into a long macro or short nwn. Nut I inch long, yellowish-brown, 

 commonly bluntly trigonous, wth the inner side nearly flat, the two 

 other sides flat or with a blunt longitudinal groove. 



In the north, the form mth the spikes all sessile appears to be more 

 abundant than the type. 



This species has somewhat the habit of Cyperus longus, except that 

 the spikes are much lai'ger and fewer. 



Sea Club Rush. 



French, Scir^e maritime. German, Meerstrands-Simse. 



SPECIES XV.— SCIR PUS SYLVATICUS. Linn. 



Plate MDCII. 



Iteich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. VTH. Tab. CCCXIII. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 29.52. 



Not cajspitose. Rootstock extensively creeping, its branches with 

 the stems placed at distant intervals one from the other. Stems 

 solitary, stout, firm, trigonous, erect, not rooting, leafy in the lower 

 half. Leaves rather numerous, sheathing, broadly linear, flat, keeled. 

 Spikes very numerous, ovate-ovoid in fruit, very minute, aggre- 

 gated into stalked heads of from 2 to 5 spikes and solitary, arranged 

 in a repeatedly compound effuse umbellato-corjTiibose terminal panicle. 

 Bracts unequal, 1 or 2 of the lowest resembling the leaves, all 

 usually shorter than the panicle. Glumes ovate, entire, obtuse, and 

 sometimes apiculate, olive, with minute black dots and three pale ribs, 

 smooth. Stigmas 3. Hypogynous bristles G, retrorsely hispid, about 

 as long as the nut. Nut obovate, acuminate-mucronate, trigonous, 

 very finely punctured, dim. 



In wet places, chiefly by the sides of ditches or streams, and in 

 woods. Generally distributed, but not very common in England. Rare 

 in Scotland, extending to Aberdeen, Banff, and Argyle. Local in 

 Ireland, where it occurs both in the south and north of the island. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Stems 18 inches to 3 feet high, stout at the base, tapering upwai'ds 

 so as to become slender beneath the panicle. Leaves 1 to 2 feet long 

 by 1^ to 1 inch broad. Lowest bract 3 to (! inches long; panicle very 

 large ; lower branches at length 4 to 8 inches long. Si>ikcs J to ,'. inch 

 long. Nut about ^'o inch long, very i)ale yellowish-green, appearing 

 punctured only under a high maguityiug power. 



