RARE PLANTS FROM MADAGASCAR. 337 
These are coarse marsh-plants, with rather broad stiff leaves 
ciliated at the edges and carinz, erect rather close panicles 
of small green and purple or entirely purple spikelets, of 
which far the greater number are male. Indeed, in the 
African species I have been unable to find any female flowers. 
The female spikelets in 4. madagascariensis are situated at the 
base of the lower branches of the panicle, generally between two 
of thein; they have fewer and larger glumes than the male spike- 
lets. The three lower glumes are empty; tho fourth closely 
enwraps the pistil. The style is very deeply trifid, and its base 
is dilated and articulated to the ovary; so that when the fruit is 
ripe, the style entirely drops off at the articulation, leaving the 
white rounded nut; below the nut is a small inconspicuous 
disk. The male spikelets are very numerous; they have from 2 
to 4 empty glumes at the base, and 3 or 4 terminal flowers, each 
composed of 3 stamens and a single glume. The stamens are 
remarkable for the possession of a short conical apiculus, crimson 
in the African species, covered with short nodular processes. 
Similar, but less developed, outgrowths occur in some species of 
Cryptangium. They seem to be rudimentary trichomes, and 
from their form and position suggest some homology with stig- 
matic hairs. 
The genus is most nearly allied to Scleria, though at first sight 
very dissimilar. The habit, solitary spikelets, and deeply cleft 
style not continuous with the ovary are sufficient to distinguish 
it. The ovary in A. madagascariensis was in several instances 
destroyed by a fungus resembling ergot. 
FrNTELMANNIA SETIFERA, n. sp.; rhizomate breviter repente, 
vaginis vetustis dense tecto, culmis pluribus teretiusculis gracili- 
bus striatis foliatis, foliis setaceis acutis striatis culmos subsequan- 
tibus, setis albis appressis ciliatis, vaginis fissis, panieula laxa, 
spicis parvis pedunculatis, pedunculis obscure triquetris basi 
ciliatis, bracteis ovatis acuminatis, acumine apice ciliato, spiculis 
pluribus aggregatis, spicis superioribus masculis, inferioribus 
paueis bisexualibus, braeteola ovata acuminata ecarinata rufes- 
cente, squamis duabus ovatis lanceolatis scariosis, staminibus 
tribus, filamentis elongatis complanatis rufescentibus, antheris 
apiculatis, stylo trifido longiusculo complanato, setis hypogynis 
nullis. Caryopsis deest. Madagascar (Deans Cowan, Hilsenberg 
and Bojer). 
The only other species in this genus is F. restioides, a Brazilian 
