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Cyperaceae

A large family of monocotyledonous plants, the reeds and sedges, numbering some 4000 species in about 90 genera. It is cosmopolitan in distribution but members are concentrated in the wetter regions of temperate and cold latitudes. Reeds and sedges superficially resemble grasses but may be distinguished by their solid three-angled stems, by the absence of ligules, and by the leaf sheaths, which are usually closed as compared to the open sheathing bases of grasses. The plants arise from swollen underground stems, which in some species, e.g. Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis tuberosus), are edible. The flowers are small, having a reduced perianth, and arranged in spikes, each flower being subtended by a single glume. The fruit is an achene. A few species are of limited commercial importance being used for making mats, baskets, hats, and paper. Others are used as ornamentals in water gardens.

 
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