J 98 TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Cyperus. 



it delights in a moist sandy soil, though it grows abundantly 

 every where. 



Root tuberous, with filiform fibres; tubers about the size 

 of filberts or acorns, of irregular form, outwardly a dark 

 brownish rust colour; inwardly firm, tender, white, .and very 

 fragrant. Culms erect, from one to two feet high, naked, three- 

 sided, smooth, with the angles rounded. Leaves radical, or 

 only investing the base of the culm, sheathing, shorter than the 

 culm, smooth, glossy. Umbels terminal, compound in very 

 luxuriant plants, sometimes decompound, from two to three 

 inches each way. Umbellets from two to eight, all having pe- 

 duncles of from one-fourth of an inch to two inches lon«-. 

 Involucre generally three-leaved, unequal, smooth, the larg- 

 est is only a little longer than the umbel. Spikes linear, sub- 

 sessile. Seed obsoletely three-sided, brown, a little rugose. 



Obs. Cattle eat it. Hogs are remarkably fond of the roots. 

 Dried and powdered they are used as a perfume at the wed- 

 dings of the natives. It is by far the most troublesome weed 

 we have in our gardens, there is no extirpating it, as every 

 little bit of the root grows readily. 



25. C. pertenuis. R. 



Culms from three to four feet high, sub-rotund at the base, 

 three-cornered above. Leaves few. Umbel compound and de- 

 compound. Spikelets filiform, many-flowered. Seeds three- 

 sided. 



Beng. Nag?/r-Mootha. 



This most delicate, tall, slender species, I have only found 

 in low wet places, in the vicinity of Calcutta. 



Root somewhat tuberous, with many dark-coloured villous 

 fibres. Culms naked, except at the base, straight, generally 

 three or four feet high, slender, tapering much, toward the 

 base nearly round, becoming more and more three-sided, till 

 they are acutely so at the umbel. Leaves one or two at the 

 base of each culm, slender, about one-third the length of the 

 culm. Umbel compound and decompound, very small for 



