548 THE SEDGE FAMIIiT. 



lowest, from Cyperus by the arrangement of the glumes, and from Blysmu* 

 by the arrangement of the spikelets. 



Spikelets solitary on each stem. 

 Stems branched, leafy, floating in water or in matted tufts on its 



edge 6. Floating S. 



Stems simple, erect or ascending. 



Outer bract of the spikelet without any leafy tip. 



Stems very slender, not 2 inches high. Styles 2-cleft ... 1. Needle S. 

 Stems rather stiif, 3 or 4 inches to a foot high or more. 



Styles mostly 2-cleft 2. Creeping S. 



Styles mostly 3-cleft. 

 Sheaths at the base of the stem obtuse or oblique at the 

 top, without any leafy tip. Spikelets oblong. 

 Flowers numerous in each spikelet, the thickened base 



of the style rather bullj-shaped 3. Many-atalked S. 



Plowers 3 to 6 in each spikelet, the thickened base of 



the style gradually tapering from the nut ... 4. Few-jlowered S. 

 Sheaths at the base of the stem with a short leafy tip. 



Spikelet ovoid ....'. 5. Tufted S. 



Outer bract of the spikelet with a leafy tip as long as the spike- 

 let or longer. 

 Stems rather firm, 6 inches to a foot high, with numerous 



sheaths at the base, each with a short point 5. Tufted S. 



Stems very slender, 1 to 6 inches high, with 1 or 2 subulate 

 leaves. 

 Nut marked with longitudinal ribs and furrows .... 7. Bristle 8. 



Nut without ribs or furrows 8. Sam's S. 



Spikelets 2 or more, in a cluster or umbel below the summit of 

 the stem. 

 Stems very slender, 1 to 6 inches high, with 1 or 2 subulate 

 leaves. 



Nut marked with longitudinal ribs and furrows 7. Bristle S. 



Nut mthout ribs or furrows 8. Saoi's S. 



Stems firm, 1 to 2 feet high or more. 

 Stems leafless, or with 1 or 2 short, stiff leaves at the base. 

 Stems acutely triangular from near the base. 



Spikelets all sessile, in a close cluster. Leaf-blade narrow, 



2 or 3 inches long 10. Sharp S. 



Spikelets more or less pedicellate, in a compound cluster. 



Leaf-blade very short 11. Triangular S. 



Stems cyUndrieal, or scarcely angular at the top. 

 Spikelets very small but very numerous, densely packed in 



one or more small, globular heads 9. Clustered S. 



Spikelets rather large, in a cluster or irregular umbel . . 12. iMke S. 

 Stems bearing several long leaves. 



Spikelets large, brown, in a sessile cluster or close compound 



umbel 13. Sea S. 



Spikelets small, green, very numerous, in a large, loose, com- 

 pound panicle 14. Wood. S. 



1. Needle Scirpus. Scirpus acicularis, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 749. Ehochans, Brit. Fl.) 



A little, slender, tufted plant, with the appearance of an annual, but emit- 

 ting thread-Uke, creeping rootstocks ; the fine subulate stems scarcely 

 2 inches high, with short sheaths at their base, and most of them bearing J 

 a single terminal oblong spikelet, not 2 lines long, of a dark brown colour, fl 

 the outer bract similar to the glumes. Flowers usually 6 to 8 in the spike- 

 let. Hypogynous bristles 3 or 4. Styles 3-cleft. Nut obovoid, shghtly 

 triangular. 



In wet, sandy places, the margins of lakes, etc., widely spread over 

 Europe and central and Russian Asia, and North America. Not uncommon 

 in England, Ireland, and some parts of Scotland. Fl. summer and autumn. 



