HELEOCHARIS. | CYPERACE, 347 
Moradabad (Thomson). Distrip.: N. W. India, Coromandel, Ceylon, 
Malay Peninsula and Trop. Asia and Polynesia ; in Assam and Sikkim 
represented by the variety bengalensis, C. B. Cl. 
8. M. paniceus, Vahl. var. Roxburghianus, C. B. Cl; PF. B. L, 
vi, 621; Cooke, Fl. Bomb. wi, 875. 
An erect perennial glabrous herb. Rhizome short, more or less hori- 
zontal, covered with fibrous leaf-sheaths and giving rise to slender 
somewhat rigid stolons. Stem up to 2 ft. high, smooth, trigonous, 
‘frequently thickened into nodules at the base where it passes into 
the rhizome. Leaves generally shorter than the stem, up to 2 in, 
broad; sheaths of the stem-leaves not fibrous, generally reddish. 
Umbel terminal, simple, composed of 6 to 21 rays of different lengths, 
up to 3 ins. and terminating in dense cylindrical spikes up to 1 in. 
long, but generally shorter, and 4 in. diam.; bracts leaf-like but 
often broader and more scabrid. Spikelets numerous, % in. long, 
each ripening 1 nut. The two lowest glumes empty, short; the 
third glume nut-bearing, elliptical-lanceolate when spread out, 
nearly ¢ in. long, keel with 3 strong nerves, sides often with reddish- 
brown dots and hyaline margins; the fourth glume very much 
reduced and empty. Stamens 3. Nut oblong-ellipsoid, slightly 
curved, trigonous,y; -7'5 in. long, pale brown; style with the 3 stig- 
matic branches about as long as the nut. 
Dehra Dun (Duthie, etc.), Saharanpur, Bahraich (Harsukh), Siwalik 
Range (Lowrie). Throughout most of India; Ceylon, Java. 
7. HELEOCHARIS, R. Br.; Fl. Brit. Ind. vi, 625 (Eleocharis), 
Stems simple, tufted erect. Leaves wanting, sheaths few cylin- 
dric, truncate or with a small unilateral subapical tooth, non- 
flowering leaflike stems often present. Inflorescence « solitary 
(rarely more) ovoid or cylindric terminal spikelet. Glumes imbri- 
cate on all sides of the rachilla, the lowest usually empty, bracte 
' like, shorter than the spikelet. The lowest and several succeeding 
flowers bisexual, the upper imperfect. Hypogynous bristles 8-5 
rarely fewer or O. Stamens 1-3. Style base dilated, usually 
sharply constricted and apparently articulated on the nut but 
persistent. Nut obovoid, plano-convex when the style is bifid, 
trigonous when the style is trifid. Species over 100, cosmopoli- 
tan, 
