8. FiMBRisTTLis.] 138. CYPERACEM. 



usually of few (5-10) spikelets, sometimes reduced to 1 or 3, sometimes 

 compound with 20 spikelets. Bracts shorter than umbel. Spikelets 

 ovoid •2-'4". Glumes -12" ovate or broadly ovate and somewhat 

 keeled upwards, nearly flat, apiculate, brown, with hoary upper half, 

 due to a minute pubescence. Nut white or pale yelloAv -06* orbicular- 

 obovoid, minutely stipitate and apiculate, not at all ridged as in 

 diphylla but very closely microscopically multi-striate with dots. 

 .Style longer than nut flat, hairy below the stigmas. 



Throughout India, Clarke. Bengal, Masters (without locality) ! Common about 

 Calcutta, Cai. Herb. \ Probably therefore in Orissa. FL, Fr. May-Oct. 



20. F. spathacea, Roth. 



A tufted very rigid plant 4-12" high with stems swollen below and 

 very numerous short leaves -7-5" long by -06" wide. Spikelets often 

 congested (but distinct, not usually clustered) -I-'IS" long before fall 

 of glumes, in compound umbels -5-1" long. Glumes -06" brown with 

 white or hyaline rounded tips and upper margins, keeled, muticous 

 often notched. Nut dull black obovoid with minute stylar scar but 

 not apiculate, smooth or somewhat tubercled. 



Puri, Atlcinson ! Chilka Lake, Hooper ! Fl., Fr. May-Aug. 



L. with incurved margins, obtuse, only "T-l'S" in the Puri plant. Umbel {fide 

 Clarke) 2" diam. in well-developed examples, in less developed examples the spkts. 

 are nearly or quite clustered, sometimes virtually in a single head. Bracts short 

 •4" rigid, with rather scabrid keel, partial bracts shorter, cuspidate. Stamens 

 usuallj' 2, Stjie somewhat shorter than nut, often glabrous. 



21. F. argentea, Vahl. 



A small cgespitose species with the habit of squarrosa, with many 

 filiform leaves usually shorter than the stem, glabrous except for a 

 few small points along the margin, surface cells prominent, back 

 striate. Spikelets pale brown clustered in single heads, -2" long 

 before fall of the lower glumes then elongating to -4", rhachilla after 

 fall clothed with small cups from the height of the margins of the 

 «cars which are apparently the bases of the fallen glumes. Glumes 

 lanceolate to ovate -OS-'Oe" acute, with prominent 3-nerved keel. 

 Nut pale -02" obovoid smooth or with faint transverse wavy lines 

 slightly margined, stylar scar rather large. 



Western Bengal and Bihar, Xurz ! This is the only record but there are 

 specimens fi-om Central India, the Peninsula and Lower Bengal so that it is 

 probably distributed through our area. Kurz says "in dried up rice-fields, 

 frequent." FL, Fr. Dec-Jan. 



22. F. Hookeriana, Boeck. 



A tufted annual 4-10" high Avith compressed stems and narrow flat 

 leaves often as long as the stem. Of very different appearance from 

 any of the preceding from the narroAvly linear acute spikelets •4--6" 

 long clustered and solitary on the erecto-patent branches of umbels 

 often 4-6" diam. Spikelets 4-6 in a cluster, -1" or less broad. Median 

 glumes about -15" long, narrowly lanceolate very acute, rusty green, 

 keeled, brown scarious on the sides. Stigmas 2. Nut -03" long 

 obovoid biconvex obtuse or truncate, very shortly stipitate, light 

 brown, slenderly longitudinally 12-15-striate on each face from the 



922 



