Fimbristylis. | CLVI. CYPERACEZ (CLARKE). 427 
puberulous and scabrid, 14 in. high, with many leaves at the base. 
Leaves close together, rigid, falcate, spreading, linear, flat, obtuse, sheaths 
very short, edges subciliate at the base scabrous above, 5-4 in. bv 
1-1} line. Umbel decompound, 12-rayed ; bracts 2, scarcely 1 in. long ; 
rays spreading, very unequal, setaceous, compressed subangular, sub- 
puberulous scabrous, the outer 2-1 in. long, with 8 secondary rays, the 
iner 3-4 lin. long with 1 spikelet ; secondary rays capillary, unequal, 
exterior with 3 spikelets, the rest with 1 spikelet ; bracts to secondary 
umbels 2, setaceous, short. Spikelets in fruit ovate-lanceolate, acute, 
terete, 8—6-flowered, 2 lin. long. Glumes rigid, sub-4-ranked, spreading 
at the tip, round-ovate, obtuse, strongly and obtusely keeled, nerveless, 
longish mucronate, on the disc rust-coloured or fuscous, towards the 
edge paler, shining, the 2 lowest empty, smaller, round, long-mucronate. 
Nut small, 4 the length of the glume, round-obovate, but little narrowed 
at the base, at the top obtuse, bare, trigonous, densely sprinkled over 
by granules carrying pores, snow-white, pearly-glistening. Style short 
and slender, conically thickened at the base; etigmas 3 or 2, exserted. 
Stamens 1-3. : 
Upper Guinea. Guinea, Thonning (ex Boeckeler). 
Boeckeler adds that he formerly referred this species to F. seaberrima, but that 
he now regards it as near F. muricatula. 1t is doubtless some remarkable plant both 
from the nut being thickly clothed by poriferous granules and from the style-branches. 
being 3 or 2. 
10. BULBOSTYLIS, Kunth, Enum. it. 205. 
Spikelet of many spirally imbricate glumes, lowest 1 or 2 empty, many 
or several succeeding glumes 2-sexual and perfecting nuts, uppermost 
male or sterile. Hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 3-2, anterior. Style 
glabrous, linear, deciduous leaving its enlarged base as a dark-coloured 
button on the nut ; branches 3 (2 in B. striatella), linear. Nut obovoid 
(sometimes narrowly so), very obtuse or truncate, pallid till quite ripe.— 
Stolons 0; rhizome 0 or very short. Stems slender. Leaves all near the 
base of the stem, very narrow (nearly always setaceous or capillary) often 
hairy ; leaf-sheaths generally with needle-like white hairs in the throat. 
nflorescence a terminal umbel, simple or compound, or reduced to a 
head or 1 spikelet. Flower-glumes nearly always pubescent on the 
oak Fimbristylis, Sect. Oncostylis, Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 
Species 74, in the tropics or warmer regions of the world, especially in Africa 
and America where one species extends north to Canada. 
*Style 2-fid. Stem slender, with 1 spikelet 
**Style 3-fid. Stem slender, with 1 spikelet. 
Nut transversely wavy. 
Spikelet 3 in. long, with numerous nuts . 
Spikelet 2 in. long, with nuts only in the basal 
Half: f : ; ; 5 
Nut smooth; spikelet 34 in., oblong-ellipsoid, 
obtuse : . : - : 
1. B. striatella, 
2. B. festucoides, 
4. B. spherocarpus. 
3. B. zambesica. 
