ScirpUS. TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 231 



bel, partial involucres small. — Spikes numerous, oblong, some ses- 

 sile, some peduncled, exclusive of the naked rachis oi those that 

 are old, dark brown. — Scales oblong, obtuse, dark brown. — Sta- 

 mens two. — Stigmas two-cleft. — Seed obcordate, much compress- 

 ed, smooth, brown. 



40. S. (Isolepis) densus. Wall. 



Culms tufted, setaceous as well as the short leaves ; sheaths beard- 

 ed ; umbel decompound with unequal capillary rays; involucres squar- 

 rose, awned; spj'A'e/e^'j oval, long-peduncled, except the central ones^ 



Native of Nepala ; in vigour during the rains. 



A most slender, glaucous, capillary, spreading, smooth grass, 

 which forms extensive and dense tufts. Py.oot grayish, consisting of 

 innumerable long fibres. Culms from six to twelve inches high, three- 

 cornered. — Leaves three or four near the base of the grass, and a great 

 many radical ones, three or four times shorter than the culm; sheaths 

 short, flaccid, brown, .w ith a number of long- curved hairs at their 

 back and mouth. Rays about five, unequal, mostly an inch long; 

 some of them bearing a few-spiked umbellet, others supporting only 

 a single spikelet. Scales of the involucre chaffy, brown, imbricating, 

 one of them often ending in a capillary leaflet.^ — Spikelets very 

 small, brown, somewhat angular, consisting of o.al, keeled, pointed 

 scales. — Seed obovate, sharply three-cornered. — Bristles none. 



Obs. The root, culm, leaves and sheaths of this elegant little grass 

 are exactly like those of Isolepis barbata, (see above ;) the inflores- 

 cence, however, is totally different. — N. W. 



41. S. miliaceus. Linn. Sp. PL ed. Willd. i. 305. Rotth. gram, 

 57. t. 5.f. 2. Retz. Obs. 5. \6. 



Culms erect, from one to two feet high, semi-culumnar. Umbel 

 decompound ; involucres and invoLuceh shorter than the umbels and 

 umbellets. Seed obcordate, striated. 



Fimbristylis miliacea. Vahl. Enum. ii. 287. 



This species delights in \Yet pasture ground. 



