110 NEW SPECIES OF WEST AUSTRALIAN PLANTS, 



inch long, pale-coloured, linear-Lanceolate, acuminate. Glumes 4, 

 not distichous, all aristate, the 2 outer empty ones shorter. 

 Hypogynous bristles in the hermaphrodite flower rather long, 

 ciliate at the end, absent from the lower barren flower. Stamens 

 2, and style with two slender branches^ much longer than the 

 glume. Ripe fruit not seen. 



Loc. — Bayswater ; in swamps (December, 1901; W. V. 

 Fitzgerald). 



Closely allied to C. arenacea, Benth., differing in larger habit 

 and inflorescence and in the terete foliage. 



ScHCENUS aESPiTiTius, sp.nov. 



Rhizome tufted. Stems 1-2 feet high, slender, erect, rush-like, 

 rigid, finely striate, leafless excepting the dark brown leaf-sheaths 

 at the base. Leaf-sheaths rather closely appressed, hastellate at 

 the orifice with spreading white hairs, the inner ones terminating 

 in semiterete, rigid, often flexuose laminae of 1-3 inches. Panicle 

 terminal, usually turned to one side, 1-2^ inches long. Lower 

 floral bracts similar to the inner basal sheaths, the upper gradually 

 shorter. Spikelets in clusters of 2-4, mostly 3, on nearly equal 

 pedicels, of 1-3 lines long, spreading, lanceolate-acuminate, dark 

 brown, slightly compressed, about 6 lines long, containing 3 

 flowers, the lowest abortive, the 2nd maturing fruit, the upper 

 usually diseased and forming a globular white-woolly mass. 

 Glumes lanceolate-ovate, strongl}^ keeled, margins ciliate with 

 white-woolly hairs, 6-8 outer empty ones gradually shorter, the 

 lower 2 minute. Hypogynous bristles unequal, acute, shorter 

 than the nut. Stamens 3. Nut brown, narrow-ovate, trigonous, 

 finely muricate, | line long. 



Loc. — Serpentine (September, 1901), near Perth (October, 1902; 

 W. V. Fitzgerald); Torbay Inlet (December, 1902; H. Sheath). 



The species bears some resemblance to S. fascicularis, Nees, 

 but differs in the larger habit and in the spiklets and nut. The 

 hastellate leaf-sheaths and presence of hypogynous bristles 

 removes it from S. hrevi/olius, R.Br. It has a close affinity to 



