Scales of the spikelets dis- 

 tant ; leaves 2 mm. wide or 

 less ; slender sedges 

 Spikelets 4-5 mm. long 

 Spikelets 2 mm. long 

 or less 

 Umbel compound 



Spikes ovoid, 8-12 mm. 

 thick 



Spikes long-cylindric, 5-7 

 mm. thick 

 Spikelets 15-25— flowered 



Scales acute or mucronulate. 

 awnless 



Scales awned, appressed 

 B. Spikelets nearly or quite terete, break- 

 ing up at the nodes into I-fruited 

 joints 

 Spikes solitary or 2 ; culm filiform ; 

 perennial by rootstocks 

 Spikes umbellate ; culms stout to slen- 

 der ; annuals, or at least without root- 

 stocks. 



Scales distant, not overlapping 

 Spikes loose ; spikelets yellowish- 

 brown 



Spikes dense ; spikelets red brown 

 Scales overlapping 



28. C. tenuis 



29. C. nanus 



30. C. Mutisii 



31. C. ligularis 



32. C. brunneus 



33. C. confertus 



34. C.filiformis 



35. C. ferax 



36. C. Vahlii 



37. C. speciosus 



Type species, Cyperus csculcntus, L. 



1. Cyperus LAEVIGATUS, L. Mant. 179- I77I- 



Juncellus laevigatas, Clarke in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. VI: 596. 



1893. 

 In marshes along the coast. Between Kingston and Spanish 

 Town (Fawcett 8142) ; Rockfort (Britton 787 5 Harris 9564.) Widely 

 distributed in warm and tropical regions both of the old world and 

 the new. 



2. CYPERUS DENSUS, Link, Jahrb. Ill: 83. 1820 



Cyperus helvus, Liebm. Mex. Halvgr. 9. 1850. 



Cyperus variegatus, Griseb. Fl. Br. W. I. 562. 1864. Not 



H. B. K. 



Pycreus helvus, Clarke in Urban, Symb. Ant. II : 19. 1900. 

 Frequent in marshes and ditches. Temple Hall (Harris 9392) ; 

 Port Antonio (Britton 872) ; Stony Hill (Britton 833). Tropical 

 America. 



3. Cyperus odoratus, l. Sp. PI. 46- 1753- 



Cyperus polystachyus, R. Br. Prodr. 214. 1810. 

 Pycreus polystachyus, Beauv. Fl. d'Owar. II: 48. 1807. 

 Pycreus odoratus, Urban, Symb. Ant. II : 164. 1900. 

 In marshes near the coast, in the vicinity of Port Antonio (Mar- 

 ble 847 ; Britton 901). Not hitherto reported from Jamaica. Widely 

 distributed in tropical regions. 



4. Cyperus paniculatus, Rottb. Descr. et Ic. 40. 1773- 



Pycreus paniculatus, Nees, Linnaea, IX : 283. 1834. 

 Reported from Jamaica by Clarke, as collected by Purdie, under 



