Hypolena. | CLV. RESTIACEZ (BROWN). 265 
striate, reticulate or minutely tuberculate ; albumen copious, fleshy or 
mealy ; embryo minute, lenticular or obovoid, seated in a cavity of the 
albumen opposite the hilum.—Perennial or rarely annual herbs of 
rush- or sedge-like habit, densely tufted or with a creeping rhizome, 
which is densely covered with coriaceous scales. Stems rigid, simple, 
or branched, bearing few or many convolute, persistent or deciduous 
sheaths, which are sometimes produced at the apex into a linear 
straight or curved leaf. Infloresence similar or very: dissimilar in the 
two sexes, varying from a single terminal 1 to many-flowered spikelet, 
to a raceme, umbel, cyme or panicle of few or many spikelets, which 
are solitary or clustered in the axils of small or large and sometimes 
coloured sheaths (spathes of authors). Bracts imbricate, 1 or more of 
the lower barren, usually longer than the flowers. Bracteoles present 
or absent. 
An order of about 300 species, mostly natives of South Africa, Australia, 
Tasmania and New Zealand, with 1 in Cochin China, 1 in Chili, and 1 (or 2?) 
in Tropical Africa. 
1. HYPOLENA, R. Br. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii, 1035. 
Flowers dicecious. Male flowers: Perianth segments 6, in two 
series, subequal or the outer larger, two of them more or less condupli- 
cate and keeled, glumaceous or the inner membranous. Stamens 3; 
filaments filiform, free ; anthers linear-oblong, 1-celled, opening by one 
longitudinal slit. Pistillode rudimentary or none. Female flowers : 
Perianth segments 6, in two series, the inner membranous or hyaline. 
Staminodes 3, minute, or none. Ovary 1-celled, 1-ovulate ; styles 2. 
Fruit ovoid or trigonous, 1-celled, indehiscent, sometimes thickened at 
the apex. Seed solitary, pendulous.—Perennial branching herbs. 
Sheaths closely convolute, persistent. Spikelets arranged in spikes, 
racemes, cymes or panicles, or solitary or clustered at the ends of the 
branches, often distichous, those of the male piant 1 to many-flowered, 
of the female 1-flowered. Bracts imbricate ; bracteoles none. 
A genus of several species, natives of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, 
with the following from Tropical Africa. 
1. H. Mahoni, V. #. Br. Stems 18-20 in. (or more ? ) high, 
branching from the base to the middle, $—} lin. thick ; branchlets 
rather more slender, minutely punctate or almost smooth. Sheaths 
4-6 lin. long, closely convolute, obtuse, with a short terete obtuse 
apiculus, opaque brown, persistent. Male inflorescence a terminal 
spike 4-1 in. long, composed of 2-3 distant spikelets in the axils of 
ovate brown sheaths 2-3 lin. long. Spikelets 24—3 lin. long and about 
as much in breadth, ovate, 3—5-flowered, with a minutely scurfy- 
pubescent rhachis, winged by the decurrent margins of the bracts, and 
more or less zigzag. Bracts 13-24 lin. long, {-1 lin. broad, oblong or 
ovate-oblong, acute or subobtuse, decurrent on the rhachis at the base, 
Subcoriaceous, brown. Perianth-segments subequal, about 2 lin. long, 
4 lin. broad, the 3 outer linear, acute, 2 of them complicate and keeled, 
brown, glabrous, the three inner lanceolate, acute, thinner than the 
