336 CYPERACEA. | CYPERUS. 
20. C. corymbosus, Rotth. Descr. et Ic. 42, t. 7, fig. 4. F. B. I. 
vi, 612; Prain, Beng. Pl. 1144; Cooke Fl. Bomb. wi, 870. 
A tall glabrous rush-like plant. Rhizome more or less horizontal, 
completely covered with broad, brown, loose, sheathing scales which 
are generally not fibrous, from below rather stout adventitious roots 
arise. Stem-bases covered with brown to straw-coloured generally 
not fibrous sheaths with oblique mouths, the upper ones long and 
often ending in a more or Jess developed blade; stems up to 5 ft. 
in height, smooth, longitudinally striated, trigonous, with sharper 
edges towards the apex. Leaf-blades usually much reduced but 
sometimes well developed and linear, acute with serrated margins. 
Inflorescence primarily umbellate, the primary rays up to 8 in. long 
and some very short, the primary rays again sometimes branch in 
a subumbellate manner and sometimes end in spikes of spikelets ; 
primary bracts 2 to 3 leaf-like up to 4 the length of the inflorescence 
but usually markedly shorter than it, the secondary bracts are 
usually tubular sheaths. Spikelets up to 1 in. long but generally 
shorter, linear, pale-brown or straw-coloured, from 10 to 40 flowered. 
The two lowest glumes smaller, flowering glumes ovate when spread 
out, sub-obtuse, 4 in. long, #; in. broad, keel broad, rather rounded 
with several nerves, sides scarious. Stamens 3, anthers linear, muti- 
cous. Nut + in. long narrowly obovoid, trigonous; style with its 
3 branches 4 in. long divided about half way down. 
Bundelkhand, Jhansi (Duthie), Gonda (Inayat). Distrire: Northern 
India, Ceylon and most of tropical Asia, Africa and America. 
21. C. bulbosus, Vahl, Enum, ii, 342; F. B. I. vi, 611 ; Cooke, 
Fl. Bomb. ti, 871. C. jeminicus, Retz. Obs. iv, 11, non Rott. 
An erect perennial glabrous herb; slender thread-like stolons up to 
3 ins. long; bulbs when mature covered with black sharply acumi- 
nate scale-leaves. Leaves arising all in the lower part of the stem, 
about 4 to 2 ins. above the bulb covered with smooth closed leaf- 
sheaths, blades narrowly linear, gradually tapering to a slender 
acuminate apex, shorter than the flowering stem. Inflorescence 
sometimes with short primary rays arranged in an umbellate manner, 
most often with tufts-of 2-3 sessile spikelets arranged as a spike. 
Spikelets linear about 4 in. long, chestnut-brown, the glumes con- 
tinued down the internodes *of the rachis as hyaline wings. Glumes 
elliptic when spread out, 4 in. long, obtuse. Stamens 2-3. Nut 
obovoid, trigonous, black, about half as long as the glume: style 
divided into 3 rather long branches nearly to the base. 
