1. Cyperus.] 138. GYPERACEM. 



Clai-ke\ Manbhum, Clarke \ Puri, Wahhl No doubt in all districts. Fl., Fr. 

 April-Dec. Apparently always annual. "Lives about 3 months," Clarke. 



Very closely allied to haspan and sometimes mixed with it, L, or flaccid and 

 ■overtopping the stem, -1" broad. Bracts similar. In fruit the white nuts are 

 visible between the opened ,s:lumes. They are ])lano-convex according to Clarke 

 ■"with plane face to rhachilla," S-gouous according to Cooke, but in the many 

 specimens I have observed they are as described above and the plant comes very 

 near to some Juncellm and Fi/creus. Rhachilla slender blotched with red. 



5. C. haspan, L. 



A tufted herb Avith many equal stems 3-15" high or stems scattered 

 ■on the horizontal rather slender creeping rhizome. Inflorescence 

 simple or a compound umbel with numerous unequal rays up to 2-5" 

 long and bearing 3-8 stellately spreading rather slender linear-lanceo- 

 late grey or reddish spikelets •2--4" long by •04--05" broad. Glumes 

 •04--06" long, ovate-oblong (unfolded), not or slightly keeled and 

 obscurely nerved, obtuse or sometimes minutely mucronate. Stamens 

 2-3. Nut •015--02" long, globoselj' obovoid, trigonous, smooth or 

 minutely verrucose (under high magn.). Style slightly longer than 

 nut. 



Kisseng-anj (Purneah)! Behar, J. D.H.I MonghjT, Ham.l Jamalpur, Cat. 

 Herb. ! These are the only specimens seen from our area, but Clarke states that it 

 is abundant throughout India in rice-iields. FL, Fr, May-Sept. Perennial but 

 often flowering on fibrous roots the first year. 



Stems variable, sometimes stout, 3-gonous or sub-3-alate above. L. sometimes 

 O, ■12-'17" wide with inflated sheaths. Clarke says that the umbel may be thin and 

 (straggling (as in our specimens) or dense with innumerable spikes, bracts short or 

 long. Anthers linear-oblong, often with bristly tip. 



i). C. amabilis, Vahl. 



An elegant small sedge with cfpspitose stems 2-8" high terminating 

 in a compound (rarely simple in very small specimens) usually de- 

 •compound umbel of many clusters of yellow and brown linear spike- 

 lets •2--o" long or sometimes (after fall of some of the glumes) up to 

 •7" or 1" long, •04-'06" wide. Glumes close numerous, laxer and 

 more spreading in fruit, -04" long only, lower rarely -05", narrowlj^ 

 ■cymbiform, minutely mucronate. Nut very small, 3-quetrous, 

 obpyramidal, pale yellow (ripe ?) when fresh, brown when dry, 

 scarcely -02" long. 



Very common in rice-fields, etc. Beliar. Kurz ! Chota Nagpur, all districts, 

 plains and plateaux ! Fl., Fr. April-Dec. 



Leaves one-third to half as long as stems, finely acuminate, "06" broad, quite 

 glabrous. Rays of umbel 1-i" long. Spikelets usually brown down the centre and 

 golden on the edges. Rhachilla with brown midrib and thin scarcely winged 

 margins, concave but not excavate between the ridges. Glumes 3-.5-nerved on the 

 back, mucro variable (according to Clarke, always very small, straight, and usually 

 pointed in specimens seen by me). Anther small oblong. Style somewliat 

 .shorter than the ripe nut, stigmas nearly as long as st3ie, very slender. Nut 

 (under high magn.) has lines of minute raised dots. 



7. C. castaneus, Willd. 



A pretty little caespitose sedge 2-6" high wdth chestnut-coloured 

 linear spikelets •2--35" long (or after fall of lower glumes up to -7" 

 long) in mostly simple (a few compound in larger specimens) umbel- 

 late heads. Glumes 15-30 (15-70, Clarke) minute, linear-oblong 

 (when folded), scarcely cymbiform, obtuse, brown, with the green 



89-i 



