CLARKE -THE CI Hi: \« EAE OF COSTA RT( \. I 5 5 



Spike much broader than the stem glumes membranaceous, often 

 green on the keel ; Btyle 3-fid. (Subgenus Ei eleocharis 

 \ hi costate lengthwise; I ransvereely barred between the costa* 1 



ICICULARES) 7. /.' '■'•-• i J <n IS 



Nut cancellate, hardly costate lengthwise < haetariai v /.' chaei 



Xui Binooth, or obscurely reticulate, nol cancellate Leioi \k 

 PK \i: i. 

 Stems slender, or al least nol Btout. 

 Ajinuals, tufted; nut white. 



Stems capillary or Betaceous 9. E. minima. 



Stems slender, 1-angled I". /•;. durandii. 



Rhizomatous. 



Spike narrower at summit; nut white II. E. sulcata. 



Spike obovoid; nut tawny 12 /. pachystyla. 



Stems 3 to s nun. in diameter, false septate 13. E. <j> niculata. 



1. Eleocharis mutata R. Br. Prod. FL Nov. Bol. 224. L810. 

 Scirpus mutatus L. Amoen. Acad. 5: 391. L760. 

 Limnochloa mutata Nees, Linnaea 9: 294. L834. 



Distribution: From Mexico to Uruguay; quite common in the Wesl [ndies and 



tropical America generally. 

 Costa Rican collection: Limon, Pi ttier 10342. 



2. Eleocharis variegata Presl in Oken, [sis 21: 269. 1828. 

 Distribution: Mascarene Islands. 



2a. Eleocharis variegata laxiflora Ridley, Journ. Singapore Asiat. Soc. 23: 11. 

 L891. 

 Scirpus Umflorus Thwaites, Enum. PI. Zeyl. 435. L864. 

 Scirpus plicarhachis Griseb. Cat. PL Cub. 239. 1866. 

 Distribution: In southeastern Asia, frequent; more sparingly in Oceania and 



Centra] America. 

 Costa Rican collection: Buenos Aires, altitude 200 meters, Pi ttier 10593. 



3. Eleocharis ochreata Grisebach) Nees; C. 1'.. Clarke in Orb. Synib. \mill. 2: 



63. 1900. 

 Chaetoq/perus polymorphous Nees, Linnaea 9: 289. L834, in pan. nomen nudum. 

 Eleocharis ochreatus Nees, op. cit. 294, nomen nudum. 

 Scirpvs ochreatus Griseb. Fl. Brit. West Ind. 570. 1S64. 

 Heleocharis albivaginata BoecH. Vidensk. Med del. Kjob. L33. 1869-70; Linnaea 36: 



436. L870. 

 //. pittieri Boeckl. Allgem. Bot. Zeitschr. 2: 35. L896. 

 Distribution: Warmer parts of America common; in the <M<1 World less bo, but 



in Beveral varieties. 

 I osta Rican collection: San Jos£, altitude L,100 meters, Pittu ■ 548. 



4. Eleocharis olivacea Torr. Ann. Lye X. Y. 3: 300. L836. 



Stems 5 to 1<) cm. long; sheath Bcarious at summit, loose, crisped, easily worn off; 



Bpikelel 5 to s nun. long; 7 to 30-flowered; Btyle bifid; nut obovoid, plano-convex, 



olive-green, becoming tawny chestnut colored, smooth, obsoletely reticulate; style 



small, bulbous-conical. — Rootstock Blender. Spikelel ovoid, acutish. Hypo- 



gynous bristles 7. or sometimes 6, or even 3 only, surpassing the nut. 



Distribution: From Canada to Florida and Colorado sparingly; Costa Rica. 



Costa Rican colle< itons: La Palma, altitude 1,500 to 1,800 meters, Tondu 



Species rather closely allied to E. ochreata, Nees; differing by its firmer texture. 



5. Eleocharis capitata II. Br. Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 225. 1810. 

 Scirpus caribaeus Rottb. Descr. & [c. 16. pi. 15. f. 8. 1773. 



•put capitatus L. Sp. PL 1: 18. L753, in part. 



