-544' THE' SEDGE FAMILY, 



Glumes in each gpiJcclet imbricated all round the axis. 

 Spikelets sessile, in a terminal spike, arranged in 2 opposite rows 5. Bltsmus. 

 Spikelets solitary, or in heads, clusters, umbels, or panicles. 

 Several of th? lower glumes of each spikelet smallerand empty. 

 Only 2 or 3 iJowers at the top of each spikelet. 

 Spikelets very numerous, in a compound panicle .... 3. CLAmUM. 

 Spikelets few, in 1 or 2 terminal or pedunculate clusters . 4. Beaksedge. 

 All the glumes of the spikelet, excepting one outer larger one, 

 containing flowers. 

 Hypogynous bristles (within the glume round the flowers) 

 projecting far beyond the glumes and forming long cot- 

 tony or silky tufts 7. Cottonsedgb. 



Hypogynous bristles shorter than the glumes or none . . 6. Sciepus. 



I. CYPERUS. CYPERTJS. 



Stems triangular, leafy at the base. Spikelets in clusters or heads, usually 

 several together in a terminal, irregular, umbel-like panicle, with an invo- 

 lucre of one or more leaf-like outer bracts. Glumes several in each spikelet, 

 regularly arranged in two opposite rows, all nearly equal, with one flower in 

 each glume. Stamens and ovary under the same glume, without hypo- 

 gynous bristles. 



A very large tropical genus, represented by very few species in temperate 

 regions, and quite disappearing in the extreme north and south. The re- 

 gvSar arrangement of the glumes gives the spikelets a flattened appearance 

 readily recognized. 



Stem above a foot high. Spikelets numerous. Involucral leaves very 



long !• Sweet C. 



Stem less than a foot high. Spikelets in a small cluster. Involucral 



leaves not above 3 inches 2. Brown C. 



1. STveet Cyperus. Cyperus longns, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1309. OaUngale.) 



Eootstock creepmg. Stem stout, 1 to 3 or even 4 feet high, with a few 

 leaves at the base, usually shorter than the stem. Involucre of about 3 

 leaves, very unequal in length, the longest often attaining a foot or more. 

 Umbel simple or compound, the central ray very short, the others varying 

 from 1 to 2 or even 3 inches, each bearing a simple or branched cluster of 

 6 to 12 or more spikelets : these are linear, pointed, flattened, about half 

 an inch long. Glumes numerous, obtuse, of a bright chestnut colour, with 

 a green keel. Styles 3-cleft. 



In wet meadows, and pastures, common in southern Europe and central 

 Asia, extending more sparingly into central France, and along the western 

 provinces to the Channel. In Britain, very local and only in some of the 

 southern counties of England. Fl. summer, rather late. 



2. Brcwn Cjrperus. Csn^e^us fascus, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2626.) 



A much smaller plant than thq last, forming grass-like tufts a few inches 

 in height, or very rarely nearly a foot. Leaves shorter than the stem, those 

 of the involucre unequal, the longest from 2 to 4 inches. Clusters compact, 

 either in a small terminal head or in an umbel, of which the longest rays are 

 under an inch. Spikelets much flattened, obtuse, not above 3 lines long, 

 wdth dark-brown glumes, not near so closely imbricated as in the sweet C. 



In meadows and waste places, widely distributed over central and south- 

 em Europe and across Russian Asia, extending northward to southern 



