398 CLVI. CYPERACEE (CLARKE). | Mariscus. 
Lowest empty glume lanceolate, hardly mucronate ; each joint of the 
rhachilla about half the length of the glume; rhachilla appearing 
slightly flexuose. Nut-bearing glumes remote, elliptic-oblong, erect- 
adpressed even in ripe fruit, obtuse, with 7—9 nerves, green (hardly 
keeled) on the back, a dusky red or yellow on the sides. Nut 3 
the length of the glume, linear-oblong, chestnut-black ; style 3-fid.— 
-C. B. Clarke in Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. v. 588: Durand 
& Schinz, Etudes Fl. Congo, i. 295; Urban, Symb. FI. Antill. ii. 50. 
Cyperus caracasanus, Boeck. in Linnea, xxxvi. 358. C. umbellatus, 
Henriques in Bolet. Soc. Brot. v. 209 partly. 
Upper Guinea. River Niger, Varshall! Old Calabar, Holland, 48! Cross 
River, Johnston! Cameroons: Batanga, Bates, 97! and without precise locality, 
Bucholz ! 
Lower Guinea. Island of St. Thomas, Moller §& Quintas in Fl. Afr. Exsice. 
Conimbric., 124! Gaboon: Corisco Bay, Strickland! Loango ; Soyaur, 109! 112! 
Lower Congo: Kinchassa, Luja, 183! 
South Central, Congo Free State: Lukolela, 1000 ft., Hens, C, 152! 
Also in Malaya, Polynesia and Tropical America. 
This plant collected in Upper Guinea, has been received from various herbaria— 
always without a name. The material above cited appears to me most identically 
one plant; nor can I distinguish that plant from the American typical J. flabelli- 
formis. 
46. ML. eurystachys, (. B. Clarke in Durand & Schinz, Conspect. 
Fl. Afr. v. 587. Glabrous. Rhizome obliquely descending, } in. in 
diam., covered by scales. Stem 24 ft. long, at the top }in. in diam., 
triquetrous and smooth. Leaves } the length of the stem, 1 in, broad. 
Umbel simple; rays 10, up to 14 in. long; bracts 8, similar to the 
leaves, lowest up to 16 in. long. Spikes 4 in. long and broad, dense, 
of 40 spikelets spreading at right angles, dull green. Spikelets $ by 
=; in., linear, terete, maturing 4 nuts. Nut-bearing glumes elliptic, 
obtuse, 13-ribbed, adpressed-erect in fruit. Nut $ the length of the 
glume, trigonous, oblong, black ; style 3-fid.—Rendle in Cat. Afr. Pl. 
Welw. ii. 120. Cyperus ewrystachys, Ridley in Trans. Linn. Soe. ser. 2, 
Bot. ii. 143. 
Lower Guinea. Angola: Huilla; in damp places in woods, 
7061 ! 
This species is close to M. flabelliformis, H. B. & K., from which it differs in 
the rhizome, also in the spikelets and nuts being a little broader. 
Welwitsch, 
47. M. aximensis, (. B. Clarke in Durand & Schinz, Conspect. 
Fl. Afr. v. 584. Glabrous. Rhizome obliquely descending. Stem | ft. 
long, at the top trigonous and smooth. Leaves } the length of the 
stem, } in. broad, green. Umbel simple; rays 11, up to 1 in. Jong ; 
bracts 8, similar to the leaves, lowest up to 7 in. long. Spikes 5 by 
} in., of 40 spikelets, dense, a dusky straw-colour. Spikelets 10 fruit 
obliquely erect, 4 by 5}, in., almost terete, maturing 7 nuts. pera 
elliptic-oblong, obtuse, finally spreading obliquely a little. Nut § the 
Tength of the glume, broad oblong ; otherwise as M. Aabelliforms. 
