8. FiMBRiSTTLis.] 138. CYPERACE.E. 



ovoid or conical, subtended at the base by 1-3 boat-shaped aAvned 

 bracts (empty glumes of some) •14--25" long with pale scarious sides, 

 awn sometimes longer than the blade, broad, hispid or muricate. 

 FloAvering glumes lower distichous, about 5-6 fruit-bearing -2" long, 

 then 5-6 functionally male, the rest male or tabescent, broadly ovate 

 with rounded back, sides converging to a hard tip. St. 3, -3" long, 

 with much flattened filaments -2" long. Style flattened stout 3- 

 winged below where it forms a narrowly conical base, pubescent up 

 to the 3 stigmas. Nut obovoid or globose above the attenuate base, 

 •08" long, 3-sided, angle-ridges extending down the base, straw- 

 coloured, minutely verrucose. 



Monghyr Hills, Karzl Nathpur, Ham. I Singblmm ! Manbhum, Camp. I 

 Ganjam, Fischer (probably therefore Puri) ! FJ.. Fr. r.s. 



Leaf-sheaths narrow, tip rounded opposite to the blade, covered like the leaves 

 with small red dots. Blade usually recurved, upper surface concave, the 

 epidermal cells very distinct, globose and apparently containing- air, lower surface 

 with about 3 delicate nerves each side of mid-rib and rows of niameroi;s minute red 

 dots. Rhachilla after removal of glumes with very prominent red-dotted wings 

 (base of glumes ?). Style (with base) finally deciduous, about '12" long, stigmas 

 filiform one-third to nearly as long. 



9. F. tetragona, Br. 



Csespitose, often robust, Avith stems 4-24" high obscurelj'^ 4-anguIar 

 each terminated by a single large conic dense-fid. spikelet •25--4''' 

 long. Glumes very many on the larger heads closely imbricate with 

 rounded backs, broadly oblong or ovate at base, -12- -14^ long or only 

 •1" in small heads, Avith a dark lanceolate 3-nerved centre, paler sides 

 each with about 3 delicate nerves, and hyaline margins, tip rounded. 

 Stigmas 2. Nut linear-oblong, very slightly compressed, but with a 

 slight ridge or nerve along each side, and closely cancellate (cells in 

 about 9 longitudinal series each side of the nut), about -08" long, 

 excluding the flattened style-base, straw-coloured. Style persistent. 



Wet places, margins of tanks, etc. Near Purneah (in Sikkim Tarai) along 

 stagnant waters, Kurzl Ranchi, 2000 ft., Clarke \ Singbhum, Clarkel Hazari- 

 bagh, Clarke, Anders. ! Fl., Fr. Sept. -Dec. 



Stem nearly leafless, uppermost sheath mucronate or produced into a short 

 blade up to 1" or 1-5'' long with scarious margin. Spikelet with 2-3 lowest glumes, 

 (bracts) empty, longer than the flowering but much shorter than the spikelet, 

 ovate. Ehachilla with minute points after fall of the glumes. 



10. F. acuminata, Vahl. 



Smaller and more slender than tetragona, 3-9" high, like an Eleo- 

 charis in general appearance with single terminal ovoid-lanceolar 

 spikelets •2--35" long. Median glumes about -17" long, oblong- 

 lanceolate scarious, somewhat concave, keeled upAvards and keel 

 slightly excurrent. Nut white globosely ovoid, zoned with about 6 

 transverse flutings, -06" long. 



Throughout India, F.B.I. From Kumaon to the Sikkim Tarai, Clarke ! and 

 Bengal, Griff (without precise locality)! Probably therefore in our Northern 

 Area. Fl., Fr. Oct. 



Stem leafless. Upi)erraost sheath produced on one side 0-*5". 



11. F. schoenoides, VaM. 



Csespitose with stems thickened below, 4-12" high, striate, slender 

 above and often flexuose when bearing more than one spikelet. 



918 



