Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 1890, Vol. 17 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 1890, Vol. 17 Hairiness of the leaves, stem, and sheaths seemed at first to form the basis of good varietal distinctions, but a careful com parison of specimens shows that there is sometimes wide varia tion within the limits of a variety. I am inclined to believe that these differences may be due largely to individual environment. They certainly are not in all cases co-ordinate with other well defined characters. The width of the leaves varies, in the specimens that I have examined, from I mm. To 7 mm. According to the size of the plant The inżorescence varies from a single spike to one or a few several-spiked heads. The internal variations noted are in the length of the stipe of the achenium, the length and rough ness of the bristles, and several variations in the perianth-scales. The achenium may have a stipe equal to its own length, or may be nearly sessile. The bristles are sometimes shorter than the stipe of the achenium, when they are usually smooth; or they may equal the achenium, or even greatly exceed it. In these latter cases they are retrorsely barbed. The perianth scales have a stalk reaching to about the base or middle of the achenium, and there expanding into a blade (usually referred to as the scale). The scale varies in form from narrowly oblong with acute apex and base, to broadly oblong with obtuse apex and base, and deltoid ovate with acute apex and cordate or truncate base. It varies also much in thickness. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.