CXIVI. CYPEEACE^. 863 



20 in. long, tufted, weak, triquetrous towards the top. Leaves few, 

 usually shorter than the stem, \-^ in. broad, hnear, acuminate, obscurely 

 nerved, flaccid. Spikes in a simple or compound umbel or contracted 

 into a head; rays of the umbel 3-6, slender, up to 1| in. long; bracts 

 2-4, the lowest 2-10 in. long, leaf-like. Spikelets many, in dense heads, 

 dusky or brown, i-i by -^^ in., oblong, obtuse, 10-30-flowered ; rhachilla 

 slender, not winged. Glumes yjj—gV i^- long, closely imbricate, obovate- 

 oblong, obtuse, concave, 3-nerved and rounded on the back ; sides 

 broadly hyaline. Stamen 1 (less commonly 2) ; anthers small, oblong, 

 muticous, yellow. Nut -^ in. long, ellipsoid, obtusely trigonous, rounded 

 and apiculate at the apex, smooth, yellow or brown ; style much shorter 

 than the nut ; stigmas 3, linear, short. Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 598 ; Grab. 

 Cat. p. 232 ; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 282; Boeck. in Linnsea, v. 35 (1868) p. 586; 

 C. B. Clarke, in Journ. Linn. Soc. v. 21 (1884) p. 133; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. 

 V. 5, p. 25 ; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) p. 430 ; Prain, 

 Beng. PI. p. 1139.— Flowers : Oct. -Jan. 



KoNKAN : Matberan, Woodrow. Deccan : Chinchwad, near Poona, Woodrow ; 

 Kbandala, Woodrow ; between EUora and Poona, Jcwqtiemont, 275 ! — Distrib. More 

 or less tbroughout India ; Ceylon, tbe Old World generally in warm regions. 



18. Csrperus pulcherrimus, Willcl. in Kunih, Enum. v. 2 (1837) 

 p. 35. Ehizome short, creeping; root-fibres slender; stems 12-18 in. 

 long, slender, trigonous. Leaves as long as the stem or longer, 

 narrowly linear, -j^g—g- in. broad, weak, 1-nerved. Umbel compound, 

 contracted; rays very many, reaching 1^ in. long, beariug crowded 

 umbellules whose subglobose heads of innumerable spikelets conceal 

 the secondary rays which are ^-| in. long; bracts 3-6, leaf-like, the 

 longest reaching 6 in. long. Spikelets 8-12, small, not reaching \ in. 

 long, about -^ in. broad, densely crowded, oblong-lanceolate, 12-30- 

 flowered ; rhachilla not winged, slender. Glumes ovate-oblong, obtuse, 

 with crisped incurved tips, the sides hyaline with 2 broad reddish-brown 

 bands. Stamens 1-2 ; anthers linear. Nut minute, half as long as the 

 glume, shortly and stoutly stipitate, globosely trigonous, acute at both 

 ends, granulate ; style nearly as long as the nut ; stigmas 3, capillary. 

 Fl. B. I. V. 6, p. 600 ; C. B. Clarke, in Journ. Linn. Soc. v. 21 (1884) 

 p. 132 ; Boeck. in Linnjca, v. 35 (1868) p. 573 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 5, 

 p. 27. 



Sjnd: P«itt;i7^! — Distrib. India (Assam); Ceylon, Penaug, Java, Borneo. 



19. Cyperus Haspan, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) p. 45. Perennial, 

 glabrous ; rhizome creeping, clothed with ovate triangular scales, giving 

 off solitary or tufted stout or slender trigonous or triquetrous often 

 compressed stems 4-24 in. long. Leaves usually shorter (sometimes 

 longer) than the stem, -1-^ in. broad, acute, erect (occasionally very 

 short and subulate) ; sheaths inflated. Umbel simple or compound, of 

 4-12 very unequal rays up to 3 in. long ; secondary rays bearing 3-8 

 slender stellately spreading spikelets ; bracts 2-3, variable, narrow and 

 shorter than the rays, or broader than the leaves and 3 in. long. 

 Spikelets \-\ by -rg-"TT ™'-> li^e^'i'j acute, flat, 10-40-flowered, pale or 

 chestnut-brown ; rhachilla narrow, scarcely winged. Glumes -^-^ by -^ 

 in., ovate-oblong, rounded on the back, not or obscurely mucronate by 

 the excurrent midrib; sides hyaline, usually brown. Stamens 2 or 3 ; 



