546 THE SEDGE FAMILY. 



lY. BSAKSEDGE. EHTlSrCHOSPOUA. 



Spikelets several, in one or more clusters, forming terminal or axillary 

 heads or panicles. Each spikelet oblong, more or less pointed ; the glumes 

 imbricated aU round the axis, 1 to 3 of the upper or inner ones containing 

 each a flower, the lower or outer ones shorter and empty. Stamens 3 or 

 rarely 2. Hypogynous bristles 6 or sometimes more, shorter than the 

 glumes. Nut globular or laterally flattened, tapering into a 2-cleft style. 



A considerable genus, widely dispersed over the surface of the globe, for- 

 merly united with Schaenus, but well distinguished by the glumes imbricated 

 all round the axis, not arranged in two opposite rows. 



Spikelets brown. Outer braot projecting an inch beyond the flowers . 1. Brown B. 

 Spikelets white. Outer bract shorter or scarcely longer than the 



flowers 2. White B. 



1. BroTTii Beaksedge. Rhynchospora fusca, Sm. 



(Schoenvs, Eng. Bot. t. 1575, not good.) 

 Wear the white B., but rather firmer, with a creeping rootstock. Stem 6 

 to 10 inches, with few short, erect, subulate leaves ; the floral ones or bracts 

 projecting an inch or more beyond the flovi-ers. Spikelets brown, usually 

 forming two rather loose clusters, one terminal, the other on a slender pedi- 

 cel in the axil of the next leaf; each spikelet about 2j hnes long, containing 

 usually 2 flowers, with 3 or 4 empty outer glumes. Hypogynous bristle? 

 about 6, small and very unequal. 



In bogs, chiefly ia northern and western Europe, in the mountains of 

 central Europe, and in Nortli America. In Britain, confined to southern 

 and western England and Ireland. Fl. summer. 



2. '^Vhite Beaksedge. Rhyncliospora alba, Vahl. 



{Schcenus, Eng. Bot. t. 985.) 



Stems 6 to 9 inches high, slender, forming dense, gi-ass-like tufts, without 

 any creeping rootstock. Leaves chiefly radical, short and subulate ; the 

 floral bracts scarcely exceeding the flowers. Spikelets nearly white, in a 

 small, loose terminal cluster, often with one or two smaller clusters on 

 slender peduncles in the axils of the next leaves. Each spikelet 2 to 2^ 

 lines long, with 1 or 2 flowers, and 2, 3, or 4 empty glumes below them. 

 Hypogynous bristles about 12, more apparent than in the brown £., being 

 usually rather longer than the nut, although shorter than the glume. 



In bogs, in northern and central Europe, northern Asia, and North Ame- 

 rica. Generally distributed over Britain. FL summer and autumn. 



Y. BliVSiaUS. BLYSMUS. 



Spikelets and flowers of Scirpus, but the spikelets are sessile, in two oppo- 

 site rows, along the axis of a short terminal spike. 

 A genus limited to the two European species. 



Spikelets chestnut-brown, 6- to 8-flowerecl, and longer than the glume- 

 like bract at their base 1. Broad B. 



Spikelets dark-brown, 2- to 4-flowered, almost enclosed in the long, glume- 

 like bract at their base 2. yarrow B, 



