902 CXLTI. CYrERACK-t. 



12. REMIREA, Aublet. 



A low creeping branched rigid glabrous perennial, growing on sandy 

 shores of sea-coasts ; rhizome or subterranean stem sometimes several 

 leet long, rooting at the nodes, giving off short, erect, densely leafy 

 flowering branches ; internodes of the rhizome often long, reaching 

 1-2 in. ; sheatlis scarious, acuminate ; flowering branches clothed below 

 with imbricating scnrious sheaths. Leaves numerous on the branches, 

 rigid, spreading and recurved, pungent; sheaths very short, open. 

 Spiliels-'ts small, short, 1-flowered, crowded in a terminal ovoid solitary 

 or lobed head. Glumes 4, the 3 lower empty, the second and third larger 

 tlian the lowest, suborbicular, concave, the upper fertile very thick, corky, 

 1 -flowered ; hypogynous bristles 0. Stamens 3 ; anthers linear, acute. 

 Nut closely embraced by the 2 upper glumes, linear-oblong, obtusely 

 tiigonous, beaked ; style very short, thickened at the base ; stigmas 3, 

 short. — DiSTRiB. Sea-coasts in Tropical countries. 



1. Remirea maritima, Atibl. Hist. PI. Gtdan. v. 1 (1775) p. 45. 

 Ehizome as thick as a crow-quill, curved, hard, terete, horizontally 

 creeping ; sheaths leafless, as long as or sometimes longer than the 

 internodes, acuminate. Branches erect or ascending, 2-6 in. long, 

 simple, sheathed in the lower part with stout ovate acute finely striate 

 scarious sheaths, densely leafy above often to the apex. Leaves crowded, 

 rigid, recurved, linear, narrowed above, keeled and channelled, with in- 

 folded sides, triquetrous and pungent at the apex. Heads of spikelets 

 solitary or 3 or more close together ; bracts 3-4, leaf-like, usually longer 

 (rarely shorter) than the heads. Spikelets sessile or very shortly pedun- 

 culate, ^-l in. long and broad ; lowest glume small, the next 2 larger, 

 broadly ovate or suborbicular, concave, multistriate, coriaceous, with 

 scarious margins ; flowering glume oblong, cymbiform, nearly as long as 

 the outer glumes, smooth, ultimately corky, pale brown, closely embracing 

 the nut. Stamens 3 ; filaments "long, flat. Nut J- in. long, oblong, 

 tapering at both ends, compressed, minutely punctulate, dark brown or 

 nearly black ; style hardly ^L in. long; stigmas 3, short, but longer than 

 the style, il. B. I. v. 6, p. 677 ; Boeck. in Linnroa, v. 35 (18GS) p. 435 ; 

 Trim.'n. Ceyl. v. 5,-p. 87 ; Woodr. in Jouru. Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) 

 p. 432. 



Kanaka: Thomson\, Talbot ex C.B. Clarke. — Distuib. Sea-coasts in India ; Ceylon, 

 most tropical sea-coasts. 



13. SCLERIA, Berg. 



Perennial (rai'ely annual) erect leafy herbs ; stems trigonous or tri- 

 quetrous. Leaves narrow or broad. Elowers all unisexual. Spikelets 

 dimorphic, androgynous or male, and female, solitary or clustered on 

 tiie branches of a panit-le, mixed with hyaline scales (rarely spicate or 

 capitate); bracts often foliaceous ; bractooles usually filiform. Glumes 

 ] -nerved. Male or andeogtnous spiki;li:ts narrow. Glumes many, 

 tlie 5-6 lower distichous, the intermediate convolute, menibranous, 

 enclosing many narrowly linear hyaline scales. Stamens 1-3 ; anthers 

 n;irro\vly linear, cuspidate. Ovary stoiile or 0. Female spikelets 

 shorter, broader, 1 -flowered. Glumes 3 or more, distichous, the lower 



