14 T. Holm — Studies in the Cyperacece. 



the flowers are broad and very short-pointed in F. scirpoidea 

 (fig. 13), but rather narrow and long-awned in the other species 

 (fig. 11). The inflorescence is a spike, there being one terminal 

 and several lateral, often situated close together or scattered on 

 long peduncles from the axils of the stem-leaves as in F. squar- 

 rosa. A clado-prophyllon is present and is short, very broad 

 and distinctly bidentate in F. scirpoidea (fig. 12), while it 

 varies from oblong, slightly emarginate to long and tubular in 

 F. squarrosa (figs. 6 and 10), in accordance with its place on 

 the very short rhachis of the lateral spike or at the base of the 

 long peduncles, which bear several spikes at the apex, and 

 which are commonly developed in the axils of some of the 

 lower stem-leaves in F. squarrosa. 



Another character is to be observed in the shape of the 

 inner perianth-leaves, which, although they are spathulate in 

 both species, are almost obtuse in F. scirpoidea, but vary from 

 short-pointed to long-awned in the other species ; a similar 

 variation in regard to the respective length may, also, be 

 noticed in the bristles. The fhizome of our species shows a 

 very considerable difference, being stout and extensively creep- 

 ing in F. scirpoidea in contrast to that of F. squarrosa, which 

 is almost csespitose with ascending, not creeping, shoots and 

 which, also, possesses some tuberous organs, each of which 

 represents a single internode. 



We see from these divergencies that our two Fuirena- 

 species do not lack morphological characters ; all of which are 

 of specific value, and we shall show, later on, in this article 

 that their internal structure is no less important for their spe- 

 cific distinction. We must, however, not neglect to consider 

 our plants also from a biological point of view ; and we shall 

 try to demonstrate, at least, a part of their life-history, based 

 upon our investigations and compared with the more important 

 studies of similar kind, which we have met with in our lite- 

 rary research. There are, for instance, in regard to the germi- 

 nation of Fuirena a few points of interest, which deserve 

 notice, although they are not new ; nevertheless, when we dis- 

 cuss them, it is merely on account of the very defective knowl- 

 edge we have of the seedlings of this group of plants, the 

 Gyperacew, and we thought, also, that a brief historical sketch 

 of this early stage of their life-history might be of some 

 interest to the reader. 



The principal difference, that exists between the germina- 

 tion of the Gyperacem and the Grami?iea3, consists in the fact 

 that in the Cyperacem the plumule is the first to push out 

 through the caryopsis, while in the Graminece the primary 

 root is the first to appear. In Fuirena as in the other Gypera- 

 cew, which so far have been examined, the plumule is covered 



