o 
Scleria. | CLVI. CYPERACE# (CLARKE). 493 
24. SCLERIA, Berg.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. iii. 1070, 
_ Flowers strictly 1-sexual. Spikelets moneecious or dicecious; moneecious 
spikelets of 1 basal female flower, and 1 or few male flowers above ; 
female spikelets like the moneecious, but the upper male portion reduced 
to 1 or 2 empty glumes (or wanting in subgenus Acriulus); male spikelets 
like the moneecious, but without the basal female flower, and often with 
more numerous male flowers. Glumes concave, open, i.e. the margins 
not connate. Hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 3-1. Style linear, not 
dilated at the base; branches 3. Nut bony, ovoid, on a gynophore ; 
upex of gynophore often dilated into a 3-lobed dise, or (in Ophryoscleria) 
forming a small cup. Stems with nodes throughout their length. 
Inflorescence panicled, often scattered, never umbelled. 
Species 160; found in all tropical and subtropical regions, exevpt the Medi- 
terranean and Orient. 
*Hyprorortm.—Moneecious spikelets many. Hypogynous dise obsolete. 
: +Hirtelle. Slender plants. Spikelets small, mostly clustered. Clusters sessile 
ina simple spike or on the branches of a panicle. Inflorescence not leafy; bracts 
small or setaceous. 
Annuals. (Nut horizontally muricated or tubercled.) 
Panicle reduced to a nearly simple spike. 
Spikelets thinly hairy or glabrate. 
Clusters smail; spikelets 3-3 in. long. 
Spike linear, elongate 1. S. pergracilis. 
Spike oblong, denser : - 2. S. pulchella. 
5. S. remota. 
Spikelets } in. long, 6-12 in a cluster 
Spikelets hispid, long-ciliate 
Clusters of spikelets deflexed; bracts incon- 
spicuous . 3 : 
Clusters of spikelets erect ; bracts longer than 
the clusters. 4. 8. glomerulata. 
Panicle branched more or less (the sessile clusters 
of spikelets on tie branches). 
Panicle branches developed; the clusters of 
spikelets distinct. 
3. 8. melanotricha. 
Spikelets hairy. 5 ‘ 6. S. hispidula. 
Spikelets glabrous : : : . 7. 8. glabra. 
Panicle oblong, dense; branches very short . 8. S. ustu/ata. 
Perennials with horizontal rhizome. 
Panicle reduced to a nearly simple spike, lower 
clusters distinct. 
Nut smooth. 
Clusters of spikelets pendent in fruit. 
Basal leaves reduced to sheaths, or short . 9. S. hirtella. 
Basal leaves 8-12 in. long : : . 10. S. catopiylla. 
Clusters of spikelets suberect in fruit. 
Stems thickened quasi-bulbous at the base . 13. 8. Buchanant 
Stems not or obscurely thickened at the base, 
Spikelets 3-4 in. Jong . : : . 11. S. mechowiana. 
pare 5 
Spike'ets §—} in. long. 
Nearly g’abrous 5 ; . . 12. S. meyeriana. 
Hairy . 14. 8S. erythrorrhiza. 
