138. CYPERACEJE. [1. Ctperus. 



very dense scarcely peduncled cj'lindric spikes 1" by -3". Spikelets 

 densely erecto-patent •1--2" long, dull-coloured (neither yellow nor 

 red), with very small closely imbricate broad-ovate keeled obtuse 

 glumes -05" long without or -06" long including the excurrent mucro 

 or awnlet, back narrowly and finely 3-5 -nerved with broad membranous 

 margins. Anthers oblong, not crested. Nut ovoid or ellipsoid, 

 •025", 3-gonous, or 2-gonous with back rounded rather than angled. 

 ►Style hardly any, stigmas 3, very short (perhaps not properly developed 

 in specimen examined). 

 Santal Parganabs, Kurz ! Fl., Fr. Maj-. 



29. C. rotundus, L. Batha-bijir, M. ; Rotesila, Ho. ; Mutha, Beng. 



A small or slender sedge with 3-quetrous stems 4"-2 ft. high arising 

 from small hard corms or tubers or bearing tubers on its slender wiry 

 stolons. Leaves rather numerous, mostly radical and generally 

 shorter than the stem, •1--12" broad, ending in a filiform tip. Spike- 

 lets light brown shortly spicate on the branches of irregular compound 

 umbels, about 3-8 spikelets in the spike, lanceolate-linear •25--75" or 

 sometimes 1" (1-5" Cooke) long. Glumes linear-oblong, lower -12 — 16" 

 long, upper somewhat shorter, rounded but midrib mucronulate. 

 Wings on the rhachilla narrow hyaline continuous with the hyaline 

 margins of the glumes till ripe. Foliaceous bracts at base of inflores- 

 cence nearly always 3. 



A common weed and growing even on gravel paths in gardens. All districts 

 (probably) though only collected from Singbhum and Palamau inside our area 

 but from many places on the borders. FL, Fr. .July-Dec. 



Whole plant glabrous and somewhat glaucous. Primary rays of umbel "S-S", 

 sometimes 8" long and frequently compound. Spkts. occasionally 1" long. 

 Glumes 3-7-nerved on back, rather obscurely. Nut "06" long, obovoid trigonous.. 



The tubers have a pleasant fragrance and are about '5" diam., ovoid, black or 

 dark brown outside, white within. They are said to be tonic and also useful in 

 fever, diarrhoea, dysentery and dyspepsia. Cattle eat the leaves. 



30. C. tuberosus, Rottb. 



Very like C. rotundus and, a,s Clarke says, the difference is perhaps 

 not specific. The woody base of the stems is the best character. 

 It has more slender rays and spikelets and the glumes in fruit are not 

 closely imbricate. The median glumes are about -I-'IS", edges 

 produced down into the strongly winged rhachilla. 



Chilka Lake, Hooper ! Fl. Aug.-Jan. 



The stems in Hooper s specimen are 2-5 ft. high, rays of umbel 1-2". 



31. C. polystaehyus, Rottb. Syn. C. subcapitatus, Clarke. 



This also seems nothing more than a variety of C. rotundus. Stems 

 and leaves long and slender, stem at base oblique nodosely thickened 

 then abruptly contracted into a long slender rhizome. The inflores- 

 cence is contracted into a close subcapitate umbel Avith rays 0--5" 

 long and appears lateral from the lowest strongest bract being erect 

 and as though a continuation of the stem. Glumes -1" long, ferru- 

 ginus-brown. 



Pari, Burkill ! 



903 



