1. Ctpertjs.] 138. CYPERACE^. 



10. C. distans, L. f. 



A robust (depauperated specimens may be very small) rather leafy 

 sedge 1-3 ft. high Avith relativelj- very large decompound umbellate 

 panicles often 1 ft. across of loosely spicate linear spikelets •5--T', 

 decreasing to the top of spike with very slender wavy rhachilla, 

 semi-patent and distinct in flower, patent in fruit. Glumes very 

 narrow erect, appressed to rhachilla and onl}^ slightly or not over- 

 lapping one another, •07--08" long, truncate or very obtuse, white- 

 margined above. Rhachilla after fall of some of the glumes up to 

 •75" long, with narrow alternating hyaline ultimately caducous wings. 

 Nut grey to dusky black oblong or narrowly ellipsoid -Oo-'OT" long. 



Mono-hyr, Ham. {Wall., No. 3366 E) ! Sino-ljhum ! Fl., Fr. r.s. 



Stems often "o" diam. at base, stoloniferous {Jide Clarke) with stolons up to 2' 

 long by "06" wide, clothed with dark-brown elliptic acute scales. L. often as long- 

 as stem, ■25-'35" broad. Umbels sometimes reduced to a single head 2-5" diam., 

 rays in robust plants sometimes 2 ft. long. Bracts like the leaves, up to 8, 

 exceeding the head, with broad base. Spkts. red, with filiform bracts often at 

 their base. Fl. -glumes slightly obovate when unfolded, sometimes retuse, red- 

 striate or midrib 3-nerved green. St. 3. Ovary linear, stigmas 3 about as long as 

 f^tj'le which is shorter than nut. 



17. C. nutans, Vahl. 



A robust rather leafy sedge 2-4 ft. high from a stout woody root- 

 stock. Leaves 20-30" long by about •3-'45" wide, narrowed both 

 ends. Spikelets grey-bi'own in a largo decompound umbel on the 

 ultimate branches of which they are spirally spiked, •2--35" long, 

 suberect, not distinct but farming more or less of a thjTse, usually 

 subtended b}' a bract or glume with a long awn. Glumes G-12 (in 

 my specimens. Clarice records many more, up to 20, and then of 

 course the length of spkt. Mould be greater), linear or oblong -OS-'r' 

 long obtuse but midrib produced into a short aristula, nerves 2—3 

 each side of midrib, sides scarious. Rhachilla not very distinctly 

 winged. Nut oblong or oblong-oblanceolar, 3-quetrous, -OG" long, 

 very pale (perhaps not ripe) or brown or dusky black {Clarke), with a 

 small apicuhas or mucro after fall of the style which is only ^f length 

 of nut with 3 very slender stigmas about as long as nut. 



Often near streams in the iungle.s. Monghyr, Cal. Herb. ! Rajmahal Hills, 

 jr?trzl Ranchi, elev. 3000 ft. ! "Singbhum, elev." 2000 ft. ! Maubhum, JFoorf ! Fl., 

 Fr. Aug.-Oct. 



Stems often -6" diam. at base, not stoloniferous (?), often .several stems together. 

 L. often as long as stem up to "45" broad, mauy-nerved. Rays of umbel usually 

 more erect than in distavK, 2-12" long. Bracts like the leaves and similar to those 

 of diisfans, those of partial umbels narrower, and freqnentlj'- filiform or awned 

 bracts supporting the spikes, lowest empty glume tre(iuently bract-like with 

 filiform tip. Two lowest glumes very small liiiear-lauceolate. Stamens 2 3. 



Var. eleusinoides. Syn. eleusinoides, Kunth (and in F.B.I.). 



This seems to be a mere form of nutans with more fascicled denser 

 shorter spikes and with denser umbels. Clnrl:e appears to distin- 

 guish it by the den.sely spicate spikelets being 20-40 fld. (but many 

 of the specimens have no more fls. than has nutans), colour always 

 yrcy not reddish, nut narrowly ellipsoid often curved. Kunth, 

 however, describes the spikelets as " 8-10-floris dense obsitis, squamis 

 ovato-ellipticis, sub-apicc mucronulatis, carinato-navicularibus," and 



898 



