Order 133.— TTPHAOE^. 671 



thick, and conyex below. Boot undivided, sheathed at the end. Flowers mi- 

 nute from a cleft in the margin of the fronds, near the base. Jn. — Sept. 

 S Ii. perpusilla Torr. Smallest Duck-meat. Fronds dbovate, thin; rt. soli- 

 tary; seed erect. — Ponds on Staten Island. Fronds 1" or more long, grouped 

 or single, bright green. Stamens with filiform filaments, maturing in succession. 

 Ovary obliquely acuminate, with a short style. Sd. striate, erect in the ovary. 

 Aug. (Torrey). 



4 Ij. gibba L. Fronds obovate, hemispherical beneath, nearly plain above ; root 

 solitary. — Floating on the surface of stagnant waters, N. Yorlc. Fronds about a 

 line in length, peUuoid and reticulated beneath. Filaments recurved as in the 

 other species. Fruit roundish, indehiscent, 1 to 7-seeded. Jn., Jl. 



5 Ii. polyrhiza L. Fronds broad-ovate, a little convex beneath, rts. numerous. 

 — Floating in stagnant waters. Fronds resembling flax-seed, but larger (2 to 4" 

 long), scattered on the surface of the water, of a firm, but succulent texture, be- 

 coming purplish. Rts. in thick bundles of 8 to 10 black fibers from the under 

 surface of the fronds. AH these species are eaten by ducks and other aquatic 

 birds. Jn. — Sept. 



2. PIS'TIA, L. (Gr. marbg, drinking.) Spathe tubular at base, 

 connate with the spadix, limb open, ligulate, cucuUate above ; $ anth- 

 ers 3 to 8, adnate to the thick summit of the spadix, subglobous, open- 

 ing transversely ; $ ovary 1, at the base of the spadix, 1 -celled, Qo- 

 ovuled, becoming a berry in fruit. — Floating herbs, consisting of rosulate 

 tufts of little, veined, entire Ivs., sending out filiform stolons. Spadix 

 axillary, on a short scape. 



P. Stratiotes L. Lvs. roundish-oboordate, margin undulate, veins lamelliform, 

 confluent into a truncate area at base. In the var. spathulata (P. spathulata 

 Mx.) the leaves are rather obovate than obcordate, and abruptly contracted into 

 a short petiole. — ® S. Car. to Fla. and La. (Curtis), in stagnant waters. Spatha 

 white. May. 



Order CXXXIII. TYPHACEL^. Typhads. 



Serbs growing in marshes and ditches, with rigid, ensiform, sessile leaves. 

 Fiowers moncEcious, arranged on a spadix or in heads, with no spathe. Perianth 

 of a few scales, or a tuft of hairs, or 0. Stamens 1 to 4, with long, slender filar 

 ments. Ovary with 1 pendulous ovule. Seed albuminous, with an axial embryo. 

 Fig. 467. 



Genera 2, species 18, widely distributed Uiroughont the world. 



I. TY'PHA. L. (Gr. Tv0of, a marsh ; where all the species grow.) 

 Spadix of flowers long, cylindric, dense ; $ stamens about 3 together, 

 united into a common filament ; $ flowers below the sterile ; ovary 

 pedicellate, surrounded at base by a hair-like pappus. — Root Zf. Spa- 

 dix terminal, the upper staminate, the lower pistillate. Fls. very 

 numerous. 



T. latifdlia (and angustifSlia Linn.) Cat-tail. Reed Mace. Lvs. ensiform, 

 concave witliin near the base ; sterile and fertile spikes close together, or a little 

 remote. — A common, smooth, tall inhabitant of the water, in muddy pools and 

 ditches, TJ. S., Can. Stem 3 to 51, round and smooth, leafy below. Spikes termi- 

 nal, 6 to 10', brown, composed of slender, downy flowers, packed sohd. The up- 

 per portion is slender, composed of the sterile flowers. Leaves somewhat sword- 

 shaped, erect, 2 — tf and nearly 1' wide. They are called flags, and usefiil for 

 weaving the seats of chairs, &o. July. 

 /3. ANGCSTIPOLIA. Sterile and fertile spikes a little remote (J^2'). — Found in 

 the same situations with the former. A well marked variety, but differing 

 only in the more slender habit, and less complete development of its parts. 



