4.2.0 CXLI. CYPERACES. 
Culms leafy or leafless, terete or triangular. Leaves grass-like. Spikes 
rarely solitary, mostly tufted, capitate or compound-umbellate.—Several 
Cape species. Those with solitary heads are only known from Eleocharis 
by the unswollen style-base. 
6. FUIRENA, Rottb. 
Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes imbricated on all sides, 
a few of the outer empty. Perianth of 3 scales alternating 
with the angles of the ovary, mostly with as many bristles 
interposed, in fruit enlarged, rarely wanting. Stamens 3. 
Style 3-fid. Achene triangular, beaked or mucronate by the 
style-base, covered by the enlarged scales and bristles.—Kunth, 
l.c. p. 180. 
Culms angular, leafy. Leaves grassy. Spikes either solitary or in threes 
or several in a head, axillary or terminal. Glumes convex, mucronate or 
awned under the blunt apex, the outer hairy.—3 or 4 Cape species. 
7. ISOLEPIS, R. Br. 
Spikelets many-, rarely few-flowered. Glumes imbricated 
on all sides, similar. Perianth 0. Stamens 3, rarely fewer. 
Style 3-fid, rarely 2-fid, equal at base, deciduous. Achene tri- 
angular or compressed, pointless or tipped by the base of style. 
— Kunth, l.c. p. 187. 
Culms leafy or leafless. Spikelets lateral or terminal, solitary, in pairs, 
threes or cluster-capitate ; glomerules solitary or in simple or compound 
umbels,—Several Cape species. 
8. FIMBRISTYLIS, Vahl. 
Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes imbricated on all sides, 
scarcely any empty. Perianth 0. Stamens 3, rarely fewer. 
Style 2-fid, rarely 3-fid, with a much thickened, often ciliate 
base, articulated to the ovary and deciduous. Achene lenti- 
cular, rarely triangular, nude and pointless at the apex, girt at 
base with a mimute, membranous ring.—Kunth, l.c. p. 220. 
Stems leafy, angular. Spikelets solitary, geminate, capitate-glomerate or 
umbelled ; umbel often compound, Glumes mostly keeled.—Several Cape 
species. 
9. ABILDGAARDIA, Vahl. 
Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes distichous, when in fruit 
by a twist of the rachis 3-farious, keeled, deciduous, the base 
on each side persisting. Perianth 0. Stamens 1-3. Style 
3-fid, with a pyramidal-thickened base, articulated to the ovary 
and deciduous. Achene subpyriform, triangular, umbonate.— 
Kunth, l.c. p. 247. 
A. monostachya, our only species, is a small, tufted plant, very pale in 
