( 396 .) 
RHYNCHO'SPORA* * 
Linnean Class and Order. Tria'ndria f, Monogy'nia. 
Natural Order. Cypera'ce.f, Juss . — I.indl. Syn. p. 278.; 
Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 304. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 392.— 
Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 541. — Mack. FI. Hibern. p. 318. — Hook. Biit. 
FI. (4th ed.) p. 427. — Cyperoidea:, Juss. Gen. FI. p. 26. — Sm. Gr. 
of Bot. p. 68. — Cyperales ; sect. Cyperina: ; type, Scirpacea:; 
Burn. Out), of Bot. v. i. pp. 354 & 357. — Calamari.e, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Spikelets in corymbose stalked heads, terminal 
and axillary; each spikelet (see fig. 1.) of 2, or few flowers, the 
glumes (bractece, Lindl.^ (see fig. 2.) 1-valved, imbricated on all 
sides, concave, pointed, the lower ones gradually smaller and empty. 
Bristles ( Perianth of Brown ) (see figs. 3 & 4.) several, toothed 
(see fig. 5.), shorter than the glume beneath. Filaments (see fig. 3.) 
1,2, or 3. Anthers strap-shaped, upright. Gennen (see figs. 4 
and 6.) superior, roundish, small. Style (see figs. 4 & 6.) awl- 
shaped, bifid, dilated at the base, permanent, forming a hard, 
conical, compressed, pale beak to the convex, otherwise obtuse. 
Seed. 
The few-flowered spikelets; the 1-valved glumes , imbricated on 
all sides, the lower ones smaller and empty ; t he perianth of several, 
toothed bristles ; and the seed beaked with the dilated, hardened, 
permanent base of the style ; will distinguish this from other genera 
with inferior, glumaceous flowers, in the same class and order. 
Two species British. 
RHYKCHO'SPORA ALBA. White Beak-rush. White-headed 
B >g-rush. 
Spec. Char. Spikelets in a compact corymb, shorter than the 
outer bracteas. Stamens 2. Bristles with reflexed teeth. Leaves 
narrow-strap-shaped. 
Vahl. Enum. PI. v. ii. p. 236. — Sm. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 52. — With. (7th e<l. ) v. ii. 
p. 10‘J — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 72. — Lindt. Syn., 1st ed. p. 279. ; 2nd ed. pp. 279 
and 332. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 20.— Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 248. — Winch’s FI. of 
Northumbl. and Dnrh. p. 3. — Walker’s FI. of Oxf. p. 12. — Loud. Mag. Nat. Hist, 
v. viii. p. 676. — Murr. North. FI. p. 27. — Irv. Loud. FI. p. 88. — Mack. FI. llibern. 
p. 319. — Schaenus albus, Linn. Sp. PI. p. 65. — Engl. Bot. t. 985. — Iluds. FI. 
Angl. (2nd edit.) p. 16. excl. var. /3. — Willd. Sp. PI. v. i. pt. i. p. 267. — Sm. FI. 
Brit. v. i. p. 46. exel. var. /?. — Liglitf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 87. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 
10. — Puvt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 62. — Relli. FI. Cant, (3rd ed. ) p. 21.— Hook. FI. Scot, 
p. 16. — FI. Devon, pp. 6 & 115. — Perry’s PI. Varvic. Selecta>, p. 5. — Mack. Catal. 
l’l. of Irel. p. 10. — Cyperus minor palustris hirsutus, paniculis albis paleaceis, 
Ray’s Syn. p. 427. — Gromen junceum leucanthem um, Johnson’s Gerarde, 
lib. i. chap. 22. n. 7. p. 30*. — Gramen cyperoides palustre, leucanthemum. 
Scheuchz. Agr. p. 503. t. 11. f. 11. 
Fig. 1. A Spikelet, and Bractea. — Fig. 2. A Glume. — Fig. 3. A single Floret. — 
Fig 4. Bristles, Gennen, Style, & Stigmas. — Fig. 5. A Bristle, highly magnified. — 
Fig. 6. Germen, Style, and Stigmas. — Fig. 7, A Seed . — All magnified. 
* From rygchos, Gr. a beak ; and spora, Gr. a seed ; the permanent base of 
the style forming a beak to the seed. Withebinq. 
Sir W. J. Hookeb remarks, that this is very different in habit from Eleochuris, 
but too near in generic character. 
•J- See folio 56, note -f. 
