CYPERACE^. 659 



Obdee CYPEKACE^. 



CYPERUS, L. 



C. ligularis, L. (not of 1st edit.). Umbel many-rayed; spikes compact, 

 cylindrical, compound, pale; spikelets short (2" -3" long), spreading, nearly 

 terete, 7-flowered ; scales thin, ovate, acute, 7-nerved, twice the length of the 

 obovate triangular acute nut ; racliis broadly winged ; culms stout, nearly 

 terete (2°-3° high), glaucous, like the broadly linear rough-edged leaves. — 

 Wet sandy places, Punta Rassa, South Florida. — The C. ligularis of the 1st 

 edition is C. brunneus and C. pui-purascens, Vahl. 



C. dissitiflorus, Torr. Umbel simple, 3- 4-rayed; spikelets scattered 

 along the upper portion of the slender rays, lanceolate, compressed, acute, 

 5 -7-flowered; scales oblong-lanceolate, acute; nut oblong-obovate, com- 

 pressed-triangular; culms filiform (l°-2° high) ; leaves narrow-linear. — 

 Mississippi, Tennessee, and westward. 



C. acuminatus, Torr. Spikelets (whitish) numerous in a compact clus- 

 ter, oblong, compressed, 20-30-flowered ; scales thin, keeled, oblong, taper- 

 ing into a spreading point, faintly 3-nerved ; nut minute, narrowly obovate ; 

 culms clustered ; leaves one or two, very narrow, like the 8-leaved involucre. 

 — Low ground, Tennessee, and westward. — Culms 4' -8' high. 



C. Iiancastriensis, T. C. Porter. Culms triangular (l°-2'' high); 

 leaves rather broadly linear; umbel 6-9-rayed ; spikelets subulate, numerous 

 in an oval or globular head, soon reflexed, 3-6-flowered; scales oblong, ob- 

 tuse, twice the length of the linear-oblong nut ; rachis broadly winged. — 

 Alabama [Porter), and northward. — The spikelets are like those of C. retro- 

 fractus, Torr. 



C. eylindricus. Umbel 3-6-rayed, simple, erect; heads obloag or 

 cylindrical ; spikelets very numerous, lanceolate, 7 - 9-flowered ; scales ob- 

 long, 7-9-nerved, pale, twice the length of the oblong triangular nut; rachis 

 very slender, narrowly winged; culms (l°-2° high) triangular, smooth; 

 leaves broadly linear, as long as the culm. ( Mariscus eylindricus. Ell. t ) — 

 Sandy Keys of Caximbas Bay, South Florida. 



C. retroversus, Chapm. Umbel simple, 8-rayed ; spikes clavate-obo- 

 vate ; spikelets lanceolate, acute, reflexed, 2 - 3-flowered, the lowest flower 

 fertile ; scales oblong, 7-nerved, scarcely longer than the oblong triangular 

 nut; rachis very slender, broadly winged ; culm smooth (2° high) ; leaves 

 linear, involucre longer than the umbel. — Robert's Key, Caximbas Bay, 

 South Florida. 



ELEOCHARIS, R. Br. 



E. compressa, SuUiv. Culms flat, from a creeping rootstock (l°-2o 

 high) ; spikes ovate-oblong, many-flowered ; scales oblong, acute, dark purple, 

 the margins white ; nut obovate, compressed, the small tubercle acute ; bris- 

 tles 1-4, very slender, about the length of the nut, often wanting. — Wet 

 places, mountains of Georgia, Tennessee, and northward. 



