564 
CXII. CYPE RACEME 
8. SCIRPUS. The old Latin name for a Rush. — Inhabits 
nearly all regions. 
Herbs, glabrous or nearly so ; stems erect, tall and robust, 
except in S. squarrosus. Leaves few, none or many. Spikelets 
in a single head or in an umbel. Glumes many, ovate, imbricated 
all round the axis : the lowest 1 or 2 empty, the others all contain- 
ing a 2-sexual flower, but the uppermost soon withering. Bristles 
usually 3-6, sometimes none. Stamens 1-3. Style not swollen at 
the base, 2- or 3-branched. Nut about half the length of the 
glume, 3-sided or flattened. 
Spikelets in a single head. 
Stems 3-sided, robust. Tip of glumes not prolonged . 1 . S. mucronatus. 
Stems terete, slender. Tip of glumes prolonged, tail-like 4. S. squarrosus. 
Spikelets in an umbel. 
Upper part of stems naked. Glumes notched at the tip. 
Style 3-branched . . . . . . . . 2. S. lacustris. 
Upper part of stems leafy. Glumes entire. Style 2- 
branched . . . . . . . . . 3. S. chinensis. 
1. Scirpus mucronatus, Linn . ; FI. Br. Ind. vi. 657. Perennial ; 
stems tufted, l-2-| ft., robust, 3-sided, leafless or nearly so. Spike- 
lets in., in a single, dense, lateral head. Lowest bract in., 
looking like a continuation of the stem. Glumes acute. Bristles 
5-6, rough with recurved hairs. Stamens 3. Style 3-branched. 
Nut 3-sided, dark brown or black, rough. 
Throughout India, ascending to 6000 ft. — Warm regions of Europe, Asia, 
Australia. 
2. Scirpus lacustris, Linn. ; FI. Br. Ind. vi. 658. Perennial 
stems 1^-4 ft., robust, terete or nearly so. Leaves none or 1-2 
near the base of the stem. Spikelets \ in., in small clusters or 
solitary on the rays of a simple or compound umbel, rarely reduced 
to a single cluster. Lowest bract short, erect. Glumes notched 
at the tip, a small point in the notch. Bristles 5-6, sometimes 
very short, rough with recurved hairs. Stamens 3. Style 3- 
branched. Nut 3-sided, pale brown, finally black, smooth. 
Kashmir to Kumaon, 4000-5000 ft., usually grows in lakes or ponds. — - 
Africa, Australia, N. America, Europe (Britain, Bulrush). 
3. Scirpus chinensis, Munro ; FI. Br. Ind. vi. 662. Perennial ; 
stems 2-7 ft., solitary, leafy on the upper part. Leaves long, £in. 
broad. Spikelets in., in clusters of 3-15 on the rays of a large, 
spreading, compound umbel 4-8 in. across. Bracts several, the 
lowest sometimes 20 in. Glumes obtuse. Bristles none or 3-5, 
smooth. Stamens 2, rarely 3. Style 2-branched. Nut flattened, 
pale coloured. 
Chumba to Kumaon, ascending to 5000 ft.— China. 
4. Scirpus squarrosus, Linn . ; FI. Br. Ind. vi. 663. Annual ; 
stems tufted, 2-12 in., slender, terete. Leaves few, 1-2 in., linear, 
