46. 10, CYPERACEAE. 



2. rigidum Gaud, var rottboellioidea Heldr. Weed. 



3. temulentum L. Weed. 



4. perenne. Cultivated. 



5. italicum. Cultivated. 



66. OLYRA L. 



latifolia L. Ngoya Zululand. 



67. ARUNDINARIA Michx. 



tesselata Munro. The Berg Bamboo. "uQalo." Common 

 along streams of the Drakensberg. 



FAMILY 10— CYPERACEAE. 



Herbs usually with underground rhizomes and solid culms. 

 Leaf sheaths closed. Flowers arranged in spikelets, consisting of 

 an axis (rachilla) bearing bracts (glumes) with flowers in their 

 axils (or some without). Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual. 

 Perianth reduced to 6 or fewer scales or bristles or wanting. 

 Stamens 1 — 3, rarely more. Anthers basifixed. Ovary superior 

 1 celled. Ovule 1, basal inverted. Style 1, with 2, 3 or 4 (rarely 1) 

 branches. Fruit a nut or drupe. Seed endospermic. 19 genera 

 134 species. 



1. Flowers all unisexual (Cariceae) 2. 

 Flowers hermaphrodite ; rarely a iev, male or female inter- 

 mixed. . 4 



2. Nut on a gynophore, not enclosed in a utricle or bottle-like 



bract. 17 SCLERIA. 



Nut enclosed in a bottle-like bract or utricle. 3. 



3. Nut enclosed in a bottle-like bract, deeply split down and 



often containing a male spike or rachilla. 



18 SCHOENOXIPHIUM. 

 Nut enclosed in a utricle. 19 CAREX. 



4. Empty glumes at base of spikelet, usually more than 2. Fer- 



tile glumes few, often 1. Spikelets centrifugal, with a 

 central flower. 5. 



Empty glumes at base of spikelet 2 — 0. Fertile glumes, usually 

 many, rarely 1 — 2. Spikelets centripetal without a ter- 

 minal flower. 7. 



5. Style branches 2. 14 RHYNCHOSPORA. 



Style branches 3. 6. 



6. Perianth bristles 5—6 glumes 2 ranked. IS COSTULARIA. 

 Perianth bristles none. Glumes spiral. 16 CLADIUM. 



7. Bracteoles (Hypogynous scales) present. 8. 

 Bracteoles absent. 9. 



8. Bracteoles 2 standing fore and aft within the glume. 



12 LIPOCARPHA. 

 Bracteoles united in front longer than glume, almost en- 

 veloping the nut. 13 ASCOLEP1S. 



