MONOCOTYLEDONES. 173 



of the world. From its sweet juice most of the sugar and 

 juolasses of commerce is made. The Chinese Sugar-Caue 

 {Sorghum vulgare) has lately been introduced into the 

 United States, and from it molasses and sugar are made. 

 The Broom-Corn, used in the manufacture of brooms, is 

 a variety of this. The Bamboo (Bamhusa arundlnaeea), 

 sometimes attaining the height of even one hundred feet, 

 has innumerable uses in India, where it is employed in 

 manufacturing ornamental trinkets, house building, fences, 

 water-pipes, and various other things. 



2. Cyperaceas. The Sedges differ from the Grasses 

 in having solid, three-angled stems, three-ranked leaves 

 with entire sheaths. The spiked flowers have no perianth, 

 or only hypogynous setse, or a cup-shaped or sac-shaped 

 perigynium. Stamens mostly three, pistil simple, and fruit 

 a utricle. The order comprises about two thousand widely 

 distributed species. They never form continuous mats 

 like most of the Grasses, but grow in tufts, preferably in 

 wet places. As forage plants they are very inferior, or 

 mostly quite unfit. A Sedge {Cyperus textilis) is used in 

 India for making ropes and mats; and other species are 

 used in Egypt for the same purpose. The Bulrush 

 {Seirpiis laeustris) of Europe and Asia is used extensively 

 in making mats, ropes, chair-bottoms, and hassocks. The 

 Papyrus (Papyrus antiquorum) of Egypt and adjacent 

 countries, a tall plant, diameter one inch, was used in 

 ancient times for making paper. This was done by slicing 

 the cellular pith, and then hammering and smoothing it. 

 A Carex, or true Sedge (Carex arenaria), has deep and 

 extensive roots, grows in tufts, and binds the soil of the 

 dikes and the moving sands of the sea-shore. 



