CYPERACEJE. 573 



7. FUIRENA, Rotth. 



Character of Scirpus, but 3 scales below the flower (rarely abortive). — Erect, leafy, angu- 

 lar perennials: sheaths ligulate ; spikelets usually clustered ; glumes awned, or mucronate. 



63. P. umbellate, Rottb. Stem usually glabrous ; sheaths ^-angular, somewhat 

 loosened ; clusters in terminal and axillary umbels : peduncles hispid ; glumes awned, 3- 

 ncrved, greenish-brown ; achenium pale, 3-gonal, smooth, supported by 3 obovate scales and 

 no bristles.— Rottb. Bescr. t. 19. /. 3.— 2'-several feet high ; leaves 8"'-4'" broad, flat ; 

 spikelets 2"'-3'" long. — Hab. Jamaica !, all coll. ; Dominica !, Imr. ; Trinidad !, Sieb., Or. ; 

 [all tropical countries], 



8. DIPLAS1A, Rich. 



Fertile glumes including 4 scales below the flower, lower empty. Stamens 8-6. Ache- 

 nium corky, biconvex, dorsally compressed, mucronate. — Stem stout, angular, leafy ; leaves 

 fiat, lanceolate-linear, serrulate-scabrous ; spikelets large, subcylindrical, acuminate, brown, 

 3-5-nale in a corymbiform, involucrate, terminal panicle. 



64. D. karatifolia, Rich. — Rudge, Guian. t. 24. — Leaves 2-3' long, 1"-U" broad; 

 involucre large ; spikelets 1" long; style 2-fid, slender. — Hab. Triuidad !, Pd., in woods; 

 [Guiana !, Brazil !]. 



9. CLADIOJ, P. Br. 



Spikelets few-] -flowered. Glumes devoid of included scales and bristles, lower empty. 

 Style deciduous. Achenium corky, naked. — Erect perennials ; sheaths closed below ; spike- 

 lets usually clustered. 



65. O. occidentale, Schrad. Stout ; stem obtusely 3-gonal, half terete at the summit, 

 glabrous, leafy ; leaves long, linear-acuminate, concave, serrulate-scabrous ; spikelets dark- 

 brown, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 3-5-nate : clusters in an interrupted panicle ; stamens 

 2 ; style 3(-4)-fid ; achenium ellipsoidal, with a bluntish point. — Schcenus Cladium, Sw. — 

 8'-10' high ; spikelets 1^'" long, shining. — Hab. Bahamas ! ; Jamaica !, Pd., in maritime 

 bogs; [Cuba ! to Brazil], 



10. MACH.ERINA, V. 



Spikelets few-flowered, compound : lowest special glume empty. Glumes devoid of in- 

 cluded scales, provided with bristles below the flower. Stamens 3. Style 3-fid. Achenium 

 3-goual, smooth, crowned with a conical beak. — An erect perennial; stem compressed; 

 leaves equitant, distichous, fiat, devoid of asperities, except along the edges of the superior 

 sheaths: lowest sheaths open, superior closed below; spikelets brown, in a racemiform 

 panicle. 



66. M. restoides, V. Schcenus, Sw. — 3'-5' high ; leaves rigid, 6"'-8'" broad, lower 

 2'-3' long, superior distant, rapidly decrescent ; spikelets 2'" long : peduncles cymose, vari- 

 able in length. — Hab. Montserrat, Dominica 1, Imr., S. Vincent !, Guild., on the top of the 

 mountains : [Cuba ! to French islands !]. 



11. RHYNCHOSPORA, V. 



Spikelets terete, or biconvex, few-flowered : lower glumes empty, uppermost usually with 

 imperfect, or £ flowers. Flowers usually supported by bristles. Style 2-fid-2-partite, or 

 minutely 2-dentate. Achenium biconvex, crowned with a beak (the dilated base of the 

 style). — Leafy, erect, mostly perennial sedges. 



Sect. 1. Eurhynchospora. — Flowers supported by bristles. Style 2-fid. Achenium 

 separated from the beak by a broad, transverse joint. 



67. R. cephalotes, V. Stem stout, simple, 3-angular ; leaves long, flat, scabrous at 

 the margin; spikelets pale-brown, lanceolate, in a dense, ovoid, terminal head: involucre 

 long, deflexed ; glumes ovate, mucronate ; achenium obovate, transversely wrinkled, shorter 

 than" the conical-subulate beak, exceeded by the bristles." — Rottb. Descr. t. 20. — Schoenus, 



2 P 2 . 



