19S JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL IIHST. iSOCILTV, loL XXVI. 



and in South India. I suspect that there are two species mixed here, 

 but for reason given in the introduction have left all the material here. 



On sand or light soil throughout the Presidency, especially abundant in 

 sandy helds in North Gujarat and thence onwards into the desert. (India. 

 Africa, Madagascar). 



2. Si piiberula, Foir. (under Scirjms). Bulhostylis puherula, 

 Kunth. 10-12 inches high. Umbels sub-compound, ^-1 inch 

 broad, corymbiform, containing 20 or more spikelets. 



V. rare, Karwar on the sandy shore, Mr. T. 11. D. Bell, 1917, (Africa, 

 Malaya). 



3. S. capiliariS, WalUch (under Scripus in Eoxh. Fl. Ind . 

 ed. Carey and WallicJi). Bulhostylis capillaris, Kunth. Vat- 

 trifida (sp. Kunth). 6-20 inches high. Umbels lax with few 

 capillary rays j-1 inch, themselves often branched, and often 

 with a secondary umbel almost as big as the primary ximbel ; ulti- 

 mate pedicels usually deflexed in fruit. 



Very occasional in the South of the Presidency. (All warm regions of 

 the Old World). 



7. Eleocharis, /•'. Br. 



Glabrous, small or medium sized herbs. Leaves reduced to 

 sheaths, but barren stems often present. Inflorescence a single 

 erect terminal spikelet, ebracteate, but the lowest glume often 

 sub-bractiform. Glumes spirally imbricate, never truly acute. 

 Hypogynous bristles present, occasionally absent. Style branches 

 2 or 3. Style always dilated at the base, the base usually con- 

 stricted above the nut, but persistent. Nut obovoid, plano-convex 

 in the species with bifid, trigonous in the species with trifid styles. 



Key to the Bombay species : — 

 A. — Robust. <41umes concolorous. Spikelets § in. — 

 \\ in. 

 1. Stem terete, septate when dry .. .. I. L.plantaf/inea. 



i. Stem trigonous or triquetrous, not septate 

 when dry, — 

 (a) Spikelets acute, glumes sub-acute . . . . 2. E.Jii^tulosa. 



{b) Spikelets obtuse, glumes obtuse . . . . 'd. E. spiralis. 



B. — Small. Glumes with a green central band and 

 scarious sides: — 

 ]. Spikelets I — 1 inch, with a creeping rhizome. 4. L. pahistris. 

 2 Spikelets less than ^ inch — 



(a) Style bifid, nut biconvex — 



(i) Very slender, bristles white . . . . o. E. atropurjmrea. 



(ii) licss slender, stems stiff, bristles brown 6. E. capitata. 



(b) Style trifid, nut trigonous . . ..I.E. chaetaria. 



1. E. plantaginea, R. Br. Stoloniferous, creeping in the mud. 

 Stems 1-3 ft. high (as clavis). Spikelets f-l:^ in., straw-coloured. 



A gregarious sedge filling and almost monopolizing the beds of small 

 tanks in the extreme north of the Presidency. Also in the Mallad tract of 

 the Carnatic. (Trojiics of the Old World). 



