moer/â/ntts
SQIRPU5 Lin. Gen. PI. T r i a n d Ria m o n o g y n i a .
Glumce paleaceae, undique imbricatae. Con o. Son. 1 imberbe.
Raii Syn. Gen. 28, H erbal g r a m i n i f o l i /e n o n c u l m i f e r ^ f Lo r e i m p e r f e c t© seu
STAMINEO.
SCIRPUS maritimus culmo triquetro, panicula conglobata foliacea fpicularum fquamis trifidis: intermedia
fubulata. Lin. Syfi. Vegetabi p. 86. Sp. PI. p. 74* Suec. n. 47*
SCIRPUS maritimus. Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 57'.
GRAMEN cyperoides panicula fparfa majus. Bauh. pin. 6.
GRAMEN cyperoides paluflre panicula fparfa. Parkinf. 1266. Raii Syn. p. 425. Water or
Marlh Cyperus Grafs, with a fparfed panicle.
CYPERUS rotundus littoreus inodorus. Lob. ic. 77. rotundus inqdorus Anglicus. C. B. Pin. 14.
rotundus littoreus. Ger. emac. 31. Park. 1264. Raii Syn. p. 426. Round-rooted
Ballard Cyperus. Hud/on. Fl. Angl. p. 21. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 89.
RADIX perennis, repens, craflitie calami fcriptorii, |
palide fufca, Ilolonibus fub finem anni apice |
bulbofis. . f
CULMUS bi feu tripedalis, ereftus, foliofus, triqueter, |
angulis fubafperis. #
FOLIA plurima, feptem five o£lo, pedalia aut fef- j
quipedalia, lineas duas lata, fenfim acumi- |
nata, ad carinam et oras vix afpera, bafi va- J
ginata, vagina minutiflime ftriata, nitida.
INVOLUCRUM: folia pîerumque duo, rarius tria, j
inæqualia, longa, ad oras et carinam afpera. |
PANICULA terminalis, maxime varia, aliquando |
enim confiât fpiculis quinque vel fex con- *•
globatis feffilibus, fæpius vero praeter has |
utrinque oritur pedunculus, très quatuor vel J
quinque gerens fpiculas. .. * : f PEDUNCULI glabri, nudi, ad fpiculas fubincraflati. |
SPICULÆ magnæ, unciales fere, ovatae ; acutae, |
primo atro purpureae, demum ferrugineæ, |
fquâmis undique imbricatæ. |
CALYX: Squama fufcæ, corrugatae, fcariofae, c a r i-1
natae, apice fæpius tridentatæ, dente medio |
fubulato, in infimis flofculis longiore, fig. 1, 2. £
i P t h ' m
COROLLA nulla.
STAMINA : F il am e n t a tria, alba, latiufcula. A n- |
th e ræ , flavæ, lineares, membräna alba mi- |
nuta terminatæ, fig. 3. |
PISTILLUM : G ermen obovatu'm, minimum, gla- |
brum. S t y lu s fubulatus, longitudine flami- 4
num. S t ig m a t a tria, capillaria,vfig. 4. |
VILLI quatuor aut quinque, ad bafin germinis, albi,
ere£li ad lentem retrofum aculeati, germini |
longiores, fig. 5.
SEMEN unicum, fubtriquetrum, acuminatum, fufcum, ]
nitidum^ fig. 6., 1
ROOT perennial, creeping, the thicknefs of a goofe-
quill, o f a pale brown colour, the (hoots at the
end of the year bulbous at their extremities.
STA LK two or three feet high, upright, leafy, three-
corned, the angles fomewhat rough.
LEAVES numerous, feven or eight, a foot or a foot
and a half in length, two lines in breadth,
gradually tapering to a point, the keel and
edges fcarcely rough, forming a (heath at
bottom, which is (Iriated and glofiy.
INVOLUCRUM con fills generally o f two, rarely o f
three leaves, which are long, unequal and
rough on the edges and keel.;
PANICLE terminal, and extremely various, fome-
times it confifts of only five or fix cluftered
fpiculze, but for the mod part, befides thefe,
a flower-ftalk arifes on each fide, bearing
three, four, or five fpiculze more.
FLOWER-STALKS fmooth, naked, fomewhat thickened
at the fpiculas.
SPICULAL large, almoft an inch in length, ovate,
pointed, at fir ft of a blackifh purple colour,
afterwards ferruginous, covered with fcales
on every fide.
CALYX : Scales brown, wrinkled, fonorous to the.
touch, keeled, having the tip generally fur-
ni(hed with three teeth, of which the middle
one runs out to a long point; in the lower-
mod flowers this is longed, fig. 1, 2.
COROLLA wanting.
STAMINA: three F il am e n t s , white and broadi(h.
A n t h e r s yellow, linear, tipt with a minute
white membrane, fig. 3.
PISTILLUM :G ermen inverfely ovate, veryfmall and
fmooth. S t y l e tapering, the length o f the
ftamina. S t ig m a t a three, capillary, fig. 4.
• HAIRS, four or five at the bafe of the germen, white,
upright, when magnified having prickles
which crook backward, longer than the ger-
> • men, fig. 5.
^ SEED Angle, fomewhat three-cornered, pointed,
brown, and (hining, fig. 6.
L i n n ^ us remarks, that this fpecies clothes the fea-lhores as the Bulrulh does the borders of the inland
lakes ; but it is frequently found where the water is not fait, as in the river Thames, and on the edges ot the
creeks running from it. In the IJle ofSheppey, it fills almoll every ditch, and appears to be more perlettly at home.
It flowers from June to Auguft.
The older Botanifts made feveral fpecies of this plant, which L innalus has very properly referred to varieties
only. They did not attend to the ceconomy of the plant, or they would have found, that the roots, m
every variety, were bulbous at the extremities in the autumn ; nor to the circumftances offituation, &c. or
they would have feen this plant fometimes (horter, fometimes taller, fometimes with a Ample, fometimes with
a branched panicle, as is reprefented on the plate.
We know'of no ufe to which this elegant fpecies of Club-Ru(h is applied. The roots have a remarkably
fweet tafte, and probably are very nutritious.
Swine are extremely fond of the roots of the Scirpus palufiris, which the Swedilh peafants colleft and fodder
them with in the winter: the roots of the prefent fpecies, being much larger, would we conceive be much preferable
for this or fimilar purpofes.