pet 
Ld 
CYPERACEAE ~ 113 
1. Umbels compound. 
2. Spikelets oblong, turgid, 7 mm long or less, arranged in spikes; a 
Ceara rACeOUs PRAM Ee Cr Ee FR cieeeperaancgecnene 3. M. stuppeus 
2. Spikelets linear or linear-lanceolate, 8 to 15 mm long, in dense globose 
heads at the ends of the branches.................2....2..-..--2---- 4. M. dilatus 
1. M. cyperinus (Retz.)* Vahl. 
A glabrous, erect, tufted plant 20 to 60 cm high, the inflorescence um- 
bellate. Leaves 15 to 30 cm long, 4 to 8 mm wide, the bracts subtending 
the inflorescence similar to the leaves. Spikes 5 to 10, cylindric, dense, 
about 2 cm long. Spikelets lanceolate, 4 to 5 mm long, green or brownish- 
green, straight, each with about 2 flowers, the nutlets oblong, 2 mm long. 
In thickets, Masambong, fil. Aug.—Oct.; throughout the Philippines. 
Tropical Asia through Malaya to Polynesia. 
2. M. flabelliformis HBK. 
A slender, erect, tufted plant 25 to 40 cm tall. Leaves 20 to 30 cm 
long, 2 to 8 mm wide, the bracts similar. Inflorescence umbellate, the 
rays usually about 5, 2 to 5 cm long. Spikes 1.5 to 2 cm long, rather lax, 
green. Spikelets ascending, slender, about 1 ecm long, the glumes about 5, 
distant, about 3.5 mm long. Nutlets oblong, 2 mm long. 
In shady thickets, Masambong, fl. Aug.—Oct.; rather widely distributed 
in the Philippines. Most tropical countries. 
3. M. stuppeus (Forst.) Merr. (M. albescens Gaudich.). 
A coarse, erect, tufted perennial 50 to 80 cm high, pale-green or glaucous. 
Leaves rather thick, stiff, nearly as long as the stem, 4 to 6 mm wide, 
often complanate, the bracts similar. Inflorescence umbellate, 6 to 15 cm 
in diameter, the spikes dense, 1.5 to 3 cm long, about 1 cm in diameter, 
brown. Spikelets spreading, 5 to 7 mm long, the glumes obtuse, 5 to 9, 
2to 3 mm long. Nutlets ovoid, dark-brown, 1 to 1.2 mm long. 
In open wet lands near the sea, fl. all the year; throughout the Philip- 
pines near the seashore. Tropical Asia and Africa through Malaya to 
Australia and Polynesia. 
4, M. dilutus (Vahl) Nees (M. microcephalus Presl). 
A coarse, erect, loosely tufted, glabrous plant 4 to 80 cm high. Leaves 
and bracts somewhat spongy, the former often nearly as long as the 
stem, 8 mm wide or less. Inflorescence 10 to 25 cm in diameter, com- 
pound, the spikes radiately globose at the ends of the branchlets, each 
composed of very numerous, linear or linear-lanceolate, brown, straight 
spikelets 0.8 to 1.5 em long. Glumes 6 to 14, obtuse, somewhat distant, 
3 to 4 mm long. Nutlet oblong, beaked, 2 mm long. 
In open wet lands, fi. all the year; throughout the Philippines. India 
to Mauritius, China, and Malaya. 
6. TORULINIUM Desvaux 
Similar to Mariscus and Cyperus, but the spikelets breaking up into 
several joints, each containing 1 nut. 
A genus consisting of a single variable species found in all warm 
regions. 
1115558 
