696 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XX J'. 



A gregarious tall sedge (up to 4 ft. high or even more) often filling the 

 margins of tanks and river-beds ; occasional throughout the Presidency. 

 Used in Bengal for mat-weaving. (Ceylon, Tropical Africa). 



J. — Stolons creeping under r/ivund, bearing tubers at intervals. 



41. C- rotundUS, Linn. Stolons up to many yards long, 

 bearing at intervals of 4-8 inches ovoid tubers, black outside, pale 

 within, fragrant. Stems distant, one from each tuber, usually 

 about 12 inches. Umbel small or large. Spikelets usually long 

 (occasionally very long) narrow, normally reddish (pale even to 

 white on clay soil, coal black on carboniferous soil, e.g., station 

 platform, Khandala.) Nut narrowly obovoid, trigonous, ashy 

 black. Very variable owing to its wide range of habitat. 



A superabundant and pestilential weed throughout the Presidency, 

 often difficult to eradicate, especially in garden soil. (Most warm coun- 

 tries). 



The tubers are roasted and eaten, and are pounded and the powder 

 used in medicine or in the preparation of the fragrant sticks burned in 

 Hindu houses and temples. 



42. C. tuberoSUS, llotth. As the last, biit larger and stouter, 

 with slenderer spikelets, and more distant, less imbricating glumes. 

 Tubers less prominent, and a short rhizome present in addition 

 to stolons. 



Distribution uncertain. Probably scattered throughout the Presidencj-, 

 in rather lonelier f.nd wetter situations than the last. (Probably as the 

 last). 



Cooke remarks that this is a doubtful species, but perhaps the differences 

 of habit noticeable in the field become less noticeable in Herbarium 

 specimens. 



43. C. esculentUS, Linn. As No. 41, but with shorter and 

 broader (usually paler) spikelets, and glumes striate-plicate. Often 

 viviparous. 



Occasional throughout the Presidency. Not uncommon in Bombay 

 Island. (S. Europe, India, Africa, America). 



I suspect that this species is an alien introduced into India. 



K. Tall stout marsh sedf/es, %cith compound umbels, bearin;/ vcni Ion;/ s]nl:es 

 with very numerous croirded short spikelets. 



Note. —This very distinct yroup contains accordiny to the F. B. I. 6 species, 

 which are for the most part very imperfectly characterized. 



[C. radiatUS, Vald. Stems up to 3 feet. Umbels usually com- 

 pound. Spikes of the ultimate clusters sessile, cylindric, very 

 densely crowded with dull brown spikelets less than ^ inch long. 

 Distinguished from the next two by the sessile spikes. 



Specimens in the Talbot Herbarium referred here are doubtfully of this 

 8i)ecies. Genuine specimens from Mt. Abu are in Herb. St. Xav. Coll. 

 (North India, especially Bengal, E. Asia, Africa, America).] 



