J38. GYPERACEM. [5. Mariscus. 



3-6" long. Spikelets -2" slender acuminate dusky-green, ultimately 

 suberect, Avith 2 small glumes •02--03" long at the base and usually 

 2 nut-bearing glumes. 



MoiJghyr, Wall. ! 



Clarke throws doubt on this having come from Monghyr. 



3. M. Sieberianus, Xees. Syn. Cyperus umbellatus, Mlq. 



Rather slender grass-like sedge 18-30" high Avith several stems 

 uniseriate on a short creeping rhizome covered Avith the remains of 

 old leaf-sheaths. Spikelets closely spirally arranged in cylindric 

 pedunculate spikes •7-2-3" long (including the peduncle) in a simple 

 terminal umbel AAith 3-5 larger loAver foliaceous bracts and 2-5 more 

 slender or setaceous bracts, the loAver ones far exceeding the umbel, 

 the narroAA-er ones slightly so. Spikelets erecto -patent in floAAer 

 linear-subulate -13" long, in fruit spreading at right angles to the 

 rhachis, semifusiform, -15" long, deciduous, leaving the bract-like 

 loAver glume and the other small empty glume on the annular scar or 

 these separately deciduous. Fruiting spkt. after falling consists of 

 2 subequal glumes, outer lanceolate-oblong muticous many-nerved, 

 inner cymbiform AAuth curved keel prolonged into an aAvn and AAath 

 broad hyaline sides. Nut broAvn -08", curved-oblong, 3-quetrous. 

 Style fths nut, stigmas longer. 



Usually found on someAvhat high ground but in the rains. Frequent. 

 Purneah ! Singbhum ! Hazaribagh (on Pai-asnath) J.D.H.l It is A'ery common 

 eastwards of our area. Fl., Fr. Aug. -Sept. 



Leaves often as long as or exceeding stem, •12--17" broad. Rays of umbel or 

 spikes simple (but see varietj'), straight, peduncle sometimes longer than spike in 

 fruit. Spkts, in flower usually (typically) with only 4 glumes : i small 

 lanceolate-acuminate or setaceous bract-like "05" or less, ii empty half-convolute, 

 truncate 06", base amplexicaul, iii '12" (or whole length of spkt.), A'ery couA-olute, 

 linear-oblong (when unrolled), iv present in a very small hyaline state and 

 embracing the young 2-sexual floAA'er. It has a short incurved \'ery acute or 

 mucrouate tip, st. 3. In Clarke's variety ecolufior there are more tloAvering 

 glumes and the spikelets bear 2-4 nuts. In var. subcomposita the spikes are often 

 digitate on the rays. Neither of these varieties haA^e been seen in our area. 



4. M. squarrosus, C. B. Clarke. 



This is a small plant closely resembling Cyperus arlsfafus Roffb., and as it extends 

 from Bengal to Ceylon is A'ery likely to be found in Orissa. The stems are not 

 winged as in the Cyperus, spikelets about '2" and glumes 'Qo-'Ol", the awn less 

 recurved than in C. aristafus. The nuts are linear '04" long which is nearly twice 

 the length of those of the Cyperus. This latter, however, in the button-shaped 

 scars after fall of tiie spikelets is practicallj' a Ilariscus but the lowest glumes are 

 not persistent below the articulation. 



5. M. albescens, Gaud. 



A stout species 1-3 ft. high AA-ith long leaves often as long as stem, 

 up to -35" broad. Spikes 1-1-5" long, in a dense corymb (compound 

 umbel) Avith numerous spreading oblong hardly compressed close 

 spikelets -2--25" long. Glumes about 8, floAvering about -l" long, 

 slightly concave, 9-nerved, obtuse. Rhachis after fall of the spkts. 

 stout angled, Avith the 1-2 persistent lanceolate basal glumes beloAV 

 the prominent scars of the articulate rhachilla. Nuts 3-6 to a spikelet, 

 short, broad, ovoid. 



909 



