AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. 335 



178. Carex cepkalotes (Sect. Psyllophora)^ E. Muell. ; dwarf; root 

 fibrous ; leaves narrow-linear, channelled, scabrid, as long as the smooth, 

 thin, triquetrous stem ; spike terminal, solitary, androgynous, dense- 

 flowered, roundish-ovate, generally bractless, with male flowers at the 

 summit ; stigmas two ; fruit spreading, lanceolate-ovate, very short- 

 stalked, terminated by a short, undivided beak, nerveless, even, green, 

 with black-brown tip, slightly convex at the back, longer than the 

 brown, ovate, acute, persistent, one-nerved bracteoles ; basal arista 

 wanting ; caryopsis round-ovate, tapering into the base, brownish -yellow, 

 even, shining. 



Hab. On the grassy summits of the Munyang Mountains, moistened 

 by the perpetual glaciers, or on the most elevated springs. 



One of the handsomest species of a large cosmopolitan genus, allied 

 to Ca7^ex capitatay from European and Asiatic Alps. 



179. Oreobolus disticlms, F. Muell. ; leaves long, distichous, laxly 

 imbricating, somewhat spreading, incurved, channelled, subulate, flat 

 towards the summit, dilated and equitant at the base, serrulate-scabrous 

 on the margin ; peduncles angulate, furrowed, at last tereti-compressed ; 

 bracteoles two or three, large, unequal ; scales of the perigynium lan- 

 ceolate, acuminate ; caryopsis even, ovate, acuminate. 



Hab. In peat-moss oji the highest summits of the Australian Alps. 



Allied to 07^eobolus pectinatus. 



The present species must be considered as an interesting addition to 

 the genus. For a long time Oreobolus Pumilio, originally from Tas- 

 mania, now also observed in the Australian Alps, remained the only 

 species. Gaudichaud added Oreobolus obtusangulus from the Hermite 

 and Falkland Islands, and J. Hooker 0. pectinatus from Lord Auck- 

 land's Group, Campbell's Island, and New Zealand. Thus it appears 

 that all these islands possess only an isolated representant of the genus. 



180. Carpha nivicola, F. Muell.; rhizome creeping; stem very short, 

 smooth ; leaves and lower bracts broad-linear, blunt, with scabrous 

 margin, flat towards the summit ; spikelets one-flowered, fasciculate, 

 greatly surpassed in length by the leaves ; scales of the spikelets gene- 

 rally five, unequal, the outer ones twice or three times shorter than the 

 rest ; the innermost soUtary, linear-setaceous, teethless, or wanting ; 

 bristles of the perigynium six, nearly to the top plumose, three times 

 longer than the carj'opsis; stamens three ; style filiform, puberulous ; 

 stigmas three, capillary ; caryopsis oblong-triangular. 



