Order 133.— TYPHACB^. 671 



thick, and convex below. Root undivided, sheathed at the end. Flowers mi- 

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



3 Ii. perpusiUa Torr. Smallest Duck-meat. Fronds ohovaie, 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 Ii. gibba L. Fronds obovate, hemispherical beneath, nearly plain above ; root 

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

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

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



5 L. 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. AU these species are eaten by ducks and other aquatic 

 birds. Jn. — S 



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

 connate witb the spadix, limb open, ligulate, cucullate above ; $ anth- 

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

 ing transversely ; 9 ovary 1, at the base of the spadix, 1-celled, oo- 

 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. Stratidtes L. Lvs. roundish-obeordate, margin undulate, veins lamelliform, 

 confluent into a truncate area at base. In the var. spathtjlata (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. Spathe 

 white. May. 



Order CXXXIII. TYPHACE^. Typhads. 



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

 Flowers monoecious, arranged on a spadix or in heads, with no spathe. PeriUnth 

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

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

 Fig. 457. 



Genera 2, species 13, widely distributed throughout the world. 



I. TYTHA. L. (Gr. Tv^of, a marsh ; where all the species grow.) 

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

 imited into a common filament; ? flowers below the sterile ; ovary 

 pedicellate, surrounded at base by a hair-like pappus. — Koot 21 . Spa- 

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

 numerous. 



T. latifolia (nnd angustifolia Linn.) Cat-tail. Reed Mace. Lvs. ensiform, 

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

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

 ditches, tr. S., Can. Stem 3 to 5^ round and smooth, leafy below. Spikes termi- 

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

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

 shaped, erect, 2 — 4f and nearly 1' wide. They are called flags, and useful for 

 weaving the seats of chairs, &c. July. 

 /3. ANGUSTIFOLIA. 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. 



