388 CLVI. CYPERACE® (CLARKE). | Mariscus. 
by brown-striated fimbriated leaf-sheaths. Leaves 2 the length of the 
stem, } in. wide, in the lower part white-margined. Umbel-rays few, 
0-2 in. long, usually quite short, bearing 1 spike each; bracts 5-6, 
similar to the leaves, lowest 4—6 in. long. Spikes 2 by } in., cylindric, 
dense with spikelets spreading at right angles, pallid or pale red. 
Spikelets } by ,1, in., bearing 1 nut only, caducous from above the 2 
lowest empty glumes. _Glumes elliptic-oblong, obtuse, 10-16-striate. 
Nut % the length of the glume, linear-oblong, trigonous, black. Style 
hardly $ the length of the nut; branches 3, linear, of moderate length. 
—C. B, Clarke in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vii. 187. Cyperus albomarginatus, 
K. Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 122. 
Mozamb. Dist. British Central Africa: Nyasaland, Buchanan, 1432! 
Also in Extratropical South Africa. 
23. M. sieberianus, ees in Linnea,ix.286. Glabrous. Stems 1-2} 
ft. long, slender to medium-sized, at the top trigonous and striate, at the 
base more or less ovoid-thickened, approximate, but hardly forming any 
rhizome ; lower sheaths often a dull red but much less scarious wither- 
ing than in the subgenus Bulbocaulis. Leaves often } the length of 
the stem, 4! in. broad, much greener than in subgenus Bulbocaulis. 
Umbel simple, 1-5 in. in diam.; rays 5-12, up to 1-4 in. long; bracts 
5-10, similar to the leaves, lowest up to 4-8 in. long, scarcely dilated 
at the base. Spikes solitary (see also var. y), often 1 by }-} in., exactly 
cylindric ; bracts to the spikes 0 or minute and setaceous. Spikelets 
very numerous, not compressed, in fruit spreading rectangularly on all 
sides, or some towards the base of the spike deflexed, linear-lanceolate 
or lanceolate, bearing 1 or sometimes 2 nuts, dusky straw-colour or 
yellowish, never when ripe green or reddish. Two lowest glumes empty, 
persistent, lower triangular very shortly aristate or barely mucronate, 
upper obtuse about as long as the lower ; spikelet disarticulating in one 
piece above these two glumes from a small cushion. Lowest flower- 
glume twice as long as the upper empty glume, ovate-oblong, obtuse, 
7-11-ribbed, not keeled, margins enclosed round the rhachilla in fruit 
holding the nut; rhachilla above the nut-bearing glume (or above the 
upper nut-bearing glume if 2 nuts be present) 3 the length of the nut- 
bearing glume, 1-nerved with 2 hyaline wings (closely simulating on 
upper male or sterile glume), surmounted by a small scarious rudimen 
(the true uppermost glume). Stamens 3-2; anthers linear-oblong, 
muticous. Style 4 the length of the nut; branches 3, linear, bh bar 
the length of the undivided part of the style. Nut 3-} the lengt od 
the glume, linear-oblong or scarcely oblong, trigonous, chestnut-coloure¢, 
obpyramidal at the base, subobtuse at the top, dotted.—C. B. Clarke i 
Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 622, in Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fi. rane 
v. 593, and in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vii. 189; Durand & Schinz, ee ‘ 
Congo, i. 297; Durand & De Wild. in Comptes-rendus Soc. Bot. vant 
xxxvi. 89; Urban, Symb. Antill. ii, 40. WU. umbellatus, ir ? 
Enum. ii. 376 partly; Kunth, Enum. ii. 118 mainly. Scirpus abe 
Linn. Mant. 181. Cyperus umbellatus, Miq. in Ann. Mus. ee ai 
ii. 142. C. umbellatus, var. ¢ cylindrostachys,andvar.a partly, C. B. Cla 
