68 Cyperacece. [E/eocharis^ 



American B. caftillaris, which differs in having usually rather larger 

 spikelets, puberulous glumes, and larger nuts. The American or type- 

 form does not occur in the Old World. 



7. ELEOCHARIS, R. Br. 



Glabrous herbs ; stems tufted, simple, erect, embraced 



below by one or more cylindric, membranous, truncate 



sheaths ; 1. o, rarely a herbaceous or membranous limb on 



the sheath ; inn", a solitary, terminal, ovoid or cylindric,. 



many-fid. spikelet ; glumes imbricate all round the rhachilla, 



membranous or coriaceous, lowest usually empty, bractlike,. 



but not exceeding the spikelet, uppermost empty, the rest 



bisexual ; hypogynous bristles 8, or fewer, rarely o, re- 



trorsely scabrous or spinulose ; stam. 3-1, anth. linear or 



linear-oblong, not crested, muticous or with an acicular tip ; 



nut plano-convex or trigonous, style-base much swollen, pyri- 



form, conical or depressed, persistent, stigmas 2 or 3, filiform 



or flattened. — Sp. 130 (reputed); 16 in Fl.B.Ind. 



Stems usually stout, stoloniferous, or with a creeping rootstock, glumes 

 usually coriaceous. 

 Stem septate within. 



Stem robust ...... 



Stem slender ..... 



Stem not septate within. 

 Bristles as long as the nut, 



Stem subterete ..... 



Stem triquetrous above 

 Bristles much shorter than the nut 

 Stems slender, glumes usually membranous. 

 Nut cancellate, 3-ribbed .... 



Nut smooth or striate. 

 Annuals. 



Spikelets ovoid 



Spikelets globose 



Perennials. 



Style-base small 



Style-base very large .... 



1. E. plantag-inea, Br. Prod. 224 (1810). 

 Scirpus plantagineus, Retz. ; Moon, Cat. 6. 

 3046. 



Fl. B. Ind.vi. 625. Rottb. Descr. et Ic. 1. 16, f. 2 {Scirpus plantaginoides).. 



Stem 1-3 ft., densely tufted, stoloniferous, about as thick 

 as a goose-quill, appearing septate when dry, sheath 2-5 in.,, 

 excessively thin, with a membranous elongate limb, bright 

 red-brown, shining; spikelet i-i| in., pale brown or dirty 

 straw-col'd., rather narrower than the stem, rhachilla stout,, 

 angled, with irregular, broad, concave facets between the 



1. E. PLANTAGINEA. 



2. E. EQUISETINA. 



3. 



E. VARIEGATA. 



4- 



E. FISTULOSA. 



5- 



E. SPIRALIS. 



6. 



E. CH^ETARIA. 



7- 



E. ATROPURPUREA. 



8. 



E. CAPITATA. 



9- 



E. CONGESTA. 



10. 



E. TETRAQUETRA. 



Boru-pun, S. 

 Thw. Enum. 352. C. P.. 



