690 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, T'ol. XX J . 



A gregarious herb of dried rice-fields or the margins of tanks below high 

 flood-level. Abundant throughout the Presidency. (Most warm countries 

 of the old world). 



14. C> laevigatUSi J-ii'i^n- Rhizome creeping in mud. Stems 

 solitary or tufted, sheathed below, leafless oi* almost so, pale. 

 Heads compact. Bracts 2, the lower erect like a continuation ot 

 the stem, the upper very small or 0. Spikelets pale. Glumes 

 (closely imbricate broadly boat-shaped with acute tips. Nut obtuse, 

 plano-convex. 



A gregarious rhizomatous herb of soft mud. In the beds of nullahs ami 

 similar localities, common throughout the Presidency. (Most warm 

 countries). 



(/>) Var junciformis, Glarl-e. Spikelets few. rigid, shining, 

 chestnut or black, 



Sind, Stocks 7ol in Herb, Kew, No specimens are available now. 



15. C. alopecuroides, Boith. Tall, 2-3 ft. Stem thick. 

 Leaves and bracts long and broad. Umbel large, compound, 

 Spikelets in dense spikes, terminating the rays of the secondarj' 

 umbels. Glumes closely imbricate, with thick green, sometimes 

 slightly excurrent keel, pale sides, and a very narrow wavy, 

 glistening margin. Nut very small for the size of the plant, shortly 

 ellipsoid, acute, plano-convex, pale l?ut darkening to ashy brown 

 with age. Stigmas indiscriminately 2 or 3 on the same plant, 



A large solitary herb of standing or running water. Common through- 

 out the Presidency. (India and Ceylon, tropical Africa and Australia). 



Sub-genus IV (CYPERIJS)— Nut trigonous, stigmas .'1 

 Section I. SpiJceletn dif/itnte on the ultimate rays, not spikate. 



Key to the Section : — 



A. Annuals with fibrous roots {e.ccept C. Haspan). 



1 . Glumes mucronate 



(a) Spikelets i-^ in. broad, reddish . . . . lb, C. tencnffa:. 



(b) Spikelets narrow, nut obovoid . . . . 17. C uncinatus. 



(c) Spikelets very narrow, nut exactly oblong. IR. C. castaneus. 



2. Glumes not mucronate 



(a) Spikelets innumerable in globose heads, 



green to blackish . . . . . . . . }9, C. diffortnis. 



(b) Spikelets fewer in each head, golden 



yellow 



(i) No stolons, nut globooely trigonous, 



granulate . . . . . . . . 20. V. jiacidus. 



(ii) Stoloniferous, nut usually triquetrous. 21. C.haspdn. 

 H. A perenydal ivith short rhi'Mme and t/lobosc 

 whitish heads. A plant of heavij rainfall 



tracts , . , . . . , . , , . . 22. C\ leucocephfilu~<^ 



C. Perennials icith rhizomes creepim/ in sand. 

 Plants of sandy xhores and desert tracts. 



1 . Spikelets in one head, dirty straw coloured . . 2o. ('. arenarim. 



2. Spikelets in one head, pure white . . 24. C, niveus 



