Pycrevs.] CYPERACEE. 337 
Cawnpore (Duthie); Aligarh (Duthie); Agra. Dusrris.: Central 
and §. India, Ceylon, tropical Asia, Africa and Australia, 
2. PYCREUS, Beauv.; Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 589. 
Perennial or annual herbs, tufted or with decumbent stems or 
horizontally running rhizomes, Stem bases covered with leaf- 
sheaths many of which have no fully developed blades. The 
inflorescence consists usually of numerous spikelets arranged more 
or less in a simple or compound umbellate manner. The spikelets 
are each composed of numerous glumes arranged in 2 ranks on the 
rhachis. The lowest two glumes are usually empty and often 
somewhat different in shape and size from the upper (flowering) 
glumes. Each flower consists of 2 or 3 stamens and an ovary 
tipped by a bifid style. The nut is compressed laterally, the 2 
sides being practically equal, both convex and placed right to 
left in relation to the rhachis of the spikelet. Species about 85 
in most hot and temperate regions. 
Glumes obtuse. 
Stems erect, cespitose; leaves arising near 
the base of the stems; nut elliptic in out- 
line when viewed laterally ; . 1. P. globosus. 
Stems often decumbent at base; leaves arising 
from the stems up to $ of their length ; 
nut broadly obovate in outline when view- 
ed laterally . , : é 1 . 2. P. sanguinolentus. 
Glumes mucronate ; , , ; . 3. P. pumilus. 
1. P. globosus, Reich. Fl. Germ. Exzcurs. 140-10 (1830-2). P. 
capilaris, Nees in Linnea, 1X, 283 (1834); F. B. I. vi, 591 ; Prain, 
Beng. Pl. 1137 ; Collett, Fl, Siml, 553. Cyperus globosus, All. 
Auct, Fl. Pedem. 49 (1789); Cooke Fl. Bomb. ti, 857. 
A cespitose, erect growing, glabrous plant up to 16 ins. high. Roots 
fibrous. Stem-bases covered with 1 or 2 brown sheathing cataphylls 
without blades or with short ones. Leaves all arising near the base 
of the stem; blades narrow linear, up to 6 ins. long but usually 
much shorter, slender almost filiform; sheaths about 1 in. long, 
closed, with a truncate mouth. Spikelets often numerous, arranged 
in a simple or compound nearly umbellate inflorescence, many- 
flowered, }-3\in. long, 4 in. broad; -bracts 2-3, often very unequal, 
