SCIRPUS TRIQUETER. TRIANGULAR CLUB-RUSH.
SCIRPUS triqueter; culmo triquetro apice rectiusculo, vaginis foliiferis, spiculis ovatis vel oblongo-
ovatis lateralibus sessilibus pedunculatisve subnudis, stigmatibus duobus. Schrad.
SCIRPUS triqueter. l in n . Mant. vol. l .p . 89- With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4. ml. 8. p. 76. Hoffm. Germ.
ed. 2. ml. 1. P. I. p. 85. Willd. Sp. PI. ml. 1. p. 302. Smith FI. B r it. p . 55.
Engl. Bot. t. 1694. Schrad. FI. Germ. m l. 1. p. 140. Gaud in Agrost. Helv.
ml. 2. p. 35. Decahd. FI. Fr.ed. 3. ml. 3. p. 136. FI. Gall. Syn. p . 146.
Pers. Syn. PI. ml. 1. p. 68. Alton Hort. Kew. ed. 2. ml. 1. p. 132. Brown
Prodr. FI. Nov. Holl. p . 223.
SCIRPUS mucronatus. Host Gram. Austr. m l. 3. t. 66. (excl. syh.)
SCIRPUS caule triquetro, panicula laterali ramosa, locustis ovatis. Hall. Helv. n. 1338.
JU N C U S acutus maritimus, caule triquetro maximo molli, procerior nostras. R aii S yn .p . 428.
JU N C U S acutus maritimus, caule triquetro rigido, mucrone pungente. Dill, in R aii S yn .p . 42.9.
Class a n d Order. T R IA N D R IA M O NOGYNIA.
[N atural Order. CYPERACEÆ, Juss. Decand. Brown.]
Ge n . Char. Calyx, glumæ univalves, unifloræ, in spicam vel spiculas undique imbricatæ; exteriorum una alte-
ravë sæpé sterili. N u r nuda, vel setis e receptaculo ortis obvallata.
G en. Char. Calyx, glumes of one valve, one flower,
other of the exterior ones often sterile. N u t naked, o
Ra dix longe repens, crassa, nodosa, squamosa, fusco-
lutea, basi fibrosa.
Culmi bi- tri-pedales, erecti, stricti, trigoni, faciebus
planis, angulis acutiusculis, glabri, superne nudi,
inferne vaginati, vaginis dùabus aut tribus, su-
prema solummodo foliö unciam longo, duas vel
très lineas lato, acuto, rigido, canaliculato termi-
nata.
SpiCULffi sessiles pedunculatæve culmi paulo infra api-
cem prodeuntes, ovatæ, fusco-ferruginese. Pe-
dunculi inæquales, sed apicem culmi nunquam
attingentes, trianguli, compressi ; breviores spi-
culæ solitaries ; longiores spiculis duabus vel
tribus terminati, ad basin braeteis paucis ovatis
membranaceis fuscis suffulti.
GLUMÆovato-concaYæ, obtusæ, apice sub-emarginatæ, i
margioe, superne præcipue, tenuissime ciliatæ,
nervo distincte, ultra apicem in mucronem brevem
producto, instructæ.
Stamina tria: Antheræ oblongæ? flavæ.
Germen ovato-triquetrum.
Stigmata duo.
Pericarpium : Nux obovato-rotundata, obtuse tri-
quetra, fuscà, lævis, nitida ; circa ejus basin setæ
quatuor vel quinque subulatæ retrorsum hispidæ.
imbricated on all sides into a spike or spikelet; one or
■ surrounded by bristles which rise from the receptacle. .
Root creeping considerably, thick, knotted, squamose,
yellow brown, fibrous at the base.
Culms two or three feet high, erect, straight, trigonous,
with the sides plane, the angles rather acute,
smooth, above naked, below sheathed, sheaths
two or three, the upper one alone terminated
by an acute, rigid, channelled leaf an inch long,
and two or three lines broad.
Spikelets sessile, or on footstalks appearing a little
below the apex, ovate, brown-ferrugineous. Peduncles
Unequal, but never reaching the apex of
the culm, triangular, compressed; the shorter
ones having solitary spikelets; the longer ones
terminated with two or three spikelets, at the
base having a few ovate membranaceous brown
bracteas.
G lumes ovato-concave, obtuse, at the apex somewhat
emarginate, with the margin, particularly
above, finely ciliated, furnished with a distinct
nerve, produced beyond the apex into a short
awn or point.
Stamens three: Anthers oblong, yellow.
Germen between ovate and triquetrous.
Stigmas two.
Pericarp : N u t between ovate and round, obtusely
triquetrous, brown, smooth, shining; about the
base are four or five subulate reflexed bristles.
Fig. 1. Inner view of a glume. Fig. 2. Outer view of ditto. Fig. 3. Anthers and pistil.. Fig. 4. ’ Pericarp and
setee—all magnified.
This species grows on the muddy banks of rivers, but is far from common. Dillenius discovered it on the shores
of the Thames, above and below London; and more particular stations are given by Mr. E. Forster and Mr. Dickson
at Battersea, and between Millbank and Chelsea. I t is stated to have been found by the side of Acle Dam in
Norfolk; but Mr. Turner and Mr. Wigg have sought for it there in vain.
This species is peculiarly distinguished from the other British Scirpi by the stem, which is truly triangular from
the base to the summit, in this respect approaching the Scirpus mucronatus of Linneeus, an inhabitant of the South
of Europe. With this species, indeed, Hudson and Withering have confounded that variety which has sessile spikelets;
but the true S. mucronatus is distinguished from our plant, not only by its stouter culms, which are more acute
and concave on their sides, and the altogether sessile spikelets, but by a circumstance which has been unnoticed by
every author except Sir James E. Smith, the transversely rugose seeds or nuts.
Under Scirpus carinatus, published in a former number of this work, should have been inserted the following
synonym: Scirpus D uvalii, Sturm Deutschland Flora, cum icone, et Homer et Schultes, Syst. Veget. vol. 8 .p . 136.
The figure in the little German Flora is very characteristic of the plant; and Rtimer and Schultes’ description
further confirms my opinion that the Scirpus Duvalii is the same as S. carinatus; for they say “ medius Scirp.
lacustrem inter et triquetrum; culmus basi teres, dein triqueter, latere, quo panicula oritur, planus, altero teres.’’
The only station given for it by these authors is “ upon the shores of the Danube about Donaustauf.”