CXLVI. CYPERACE^. 001 



Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) p. 432; Prain, Beng. PI. p. 1134.— 



Flowers : Aug. 



Konkan: Kalyarr, Woodrow.—D i&trib. Throughout India (except the North-West) ; 

 Ceylon, Malaya, Japan, Tropical Africa, and Tropical Australia. 



2. Rhynchospora "Wightiana, Steud. Cyp. (1855) p. 148. Stems 

 tufted, 6-16 in. long, slender, trigonous, glabrous ; stolons 0. Leaves 

 many, at the base of the stem only and i-|- its length, linear, acuminate, 

 grass-like, -^ in. broad. Spikelets numerous, in reddish-brown heads 

 ■|— I in. in diam. ; bracts 3-6, unequal, the longest reaching 3 in. long, 

 linear-lanceolate, acuminate, dilated and ciliate at the base. Spikelets 

 ■^— I in. long, lanceolate, acute, i-eddisli-brown, smooth and shining. 

 Glumes 6-7, elliptic-lanceolate, very acute, i in. long, the 3 or 4 lowest 

 empty, the next 2-sexual and larger than the lower ones, the upper male 

 or rudimentary ; hypogynous bristles 6, unequal, -^-i in. long, slender, 

 scabrous with numerous minute teeth pointing upwards, brown. Nut 

 \ in. long, compressed, rounded at the apex below the beak, oblong, 

 dark brown, with pale papillse ; beak ^V ^"- long, compressed-conical, 

 nearly white ; style g in. long, very slender, brown ; stigmas 2, very 

 minute. 11. B. I. v. 6, p. 669 ; Boeck. in Linnaea, v. 37 (1872) p. 544 ; 

 Woodr. in Jouru. Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) p. 432. — Flowers : Aug. 



Konkan : Law ! ; Bombay without authority in Herb. Kew. ! Deccan : Khandala, 

 Jacqucmont, 649!, Woodrow; Poona, Woodrow. — Distkib. India (W. Peninsula); 

 Cochinchina. 



3. Rhynchospora aurea, VaU, Enum. v. 2 (1806) p. 229. Eoot- 

 fibres stout ; stems 2-3 ft. long, leafy throughout, trigonous with suiooth 

 angles ; stolons 0. Leaves 1-2 ft. by |-f in., contracted at the sheath, 

 then narrowed to the acute tip, flat, the margins and the slender keel 

 scabrid ; sheaths of the upper leaves closed, those of the lower open. 

 Spikelets clustered or spicate at the ends of the branches of large 

 coryrabiform decompound terminal and axillary umbels ; bracts up to 

 6 in. long. Spikelets ^-^ in. long, narrowly ovoid, acuminate, reddish- 

 brown. Glumes 6-7, the 3 or 4 lower empty, ovate, mucronate or awned, 

 the next 2-sexual reaching ^ in. long, ovate, mucronate or awned, 

 1-nerved, keeled, cymbiform, the upper male or ■ empty ; hypogynous 

 bristles 6 or fewer, very slender, scaberulous, shorter than the nut. 

 Nut (including the beak) reaching i in. long, brown, often exserted from 

 the glume, the portion below the beak obovoid, compressed, with slightly 

 undulate faces ; beak reaching I in. long, conical, hard, acute, as broad 

 as the nut at the base and broadly channelled down the centre ; style 

 long, slender; stigmas 2, very minute. Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 670 ; Boeck. in 

 Linn^a, v. 37 (1873) p. 626 ; Trim. Fl. Ceyl. v. 5, p. 83 ; Woodr. in 

 Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) p. 432; Prain, Beng. PI. p. 1134. 

 Rhunclwspora articulata, Roem. & Sclmlt. Syst. Mant. v. 2 (1824) p. 49 ; 

 Dalz. & Gibs. p. 288. ScJicenus articidatus, Eoxb. Hort. Beng. (1814) 

 p. 81 ; Grab. Cat. p. 233. 



S. M. Country : Young ex Woodrow. 



This plant is given both by Graham and Dalzell & Gibson, neither of whom hae 

 assigned any locality to it. There are no specimens from Bombay in Herb. Kew. — 

 HisiKiB. Moi-e or less throughout India ; Ceylou, warm regions of the globe. 



