138. GYPERACEjE. [9. Bulbostylis. 



regularly superimposed transversely oblong outer cells, and shoulders 

 of nut subtuberculate by small scales or papillse. 



Ranclii, 2000 ft. Clarke ! FL, Fr. Nov. 



23. F. sericea, Br. 



A very distinct species in its thick elongated rhizomes -3" diam. 

 with the closely imbricating brown leaf-bases and beautifully silvery- 

 silky closely imbricating leaves -5-2" long, •1--14" wide. Sheaths at 

 base of stem silky. Stems 3-6". Spikelets -2- -3" long capitate 

 2-6 in a cluster and clusters mostly umbelled with short silkj^-hairy 

 acuminate bracts. Glumes -OS-- 14" long, keeled, mucronate silky. 

 Nut obovoid smooth pale biconvex. 

 Puri, Atkinson ! Margins of freshwater lakes. Fl., Fr. Jan. -May. 



9. BULBOSTYLIS, Kunth. 



Annuals with fibrous roots and slender stems leafy only near the 

 base. Leaves very narrow and sheaths generally finely hairy. 

 fSpikelets congested or umbelled, rarely umbel reduced to one spkt. 

 Glumes imbricate on all sides 2-1 lowest empty, many succeeding 

 2-sexual, uppermost tabescent. Bristles 0. Stamens 3-1, usually 2. 

 Style as long as nut, linear, glabrous, Avith very small bulbiform base 

 and leaving a minute button on the nut after falling ; stigmas 3. 

 Nut obovoid obtuse 3-gonous, smooth, scarcely stipitate. 



The button on the nut is ultimately deciduous and is sometimes so small as to be 

 scarcely distinguishable from the apiculus in some Fimbristylis. The usually finely 

 hairy sheaths and 3 stigmas then usually serve to distinguish the genus from 

 Fimbristylu. 

 I. Spikelets in dense terminal (or p.seudo-lateral) clusters : — 



Very slender. Leaf -sheaths only hairy. Hds. not harsh . 1. barbafa. 

 Rigid with curled leaves, mostly pubescent all over. Hds. 



almost prickly 2. subspinescens. 



II. Spikelets discrete, umbelled or rarely umbels reduced to a 



single spikelet. Leaf-sheaths hairy . . . . .3. capillaru. . 



1. B. barbata, Kunth. Syn. Scirpus barbatus, Eotth. 



A tufted small grass-like herb 1-10" high with very slender striate 

 •stems and capillary leaves as long as or shorter than the stems, sheaths 

 very slenderly pilose especially in the throat. Spikelets linear, 

 angled, •07--27" long in dense clusters at the top of the stem, some- 

 times appearing lateral from the longest bract being erect and about 

 twice as long as the head. Glumes -07" long, cymbiform, keel of 

 lower glumes excurrent as a very short awnlet, sides rusty-brown or 

 dotted, keel and margins sometimes very minutely hirtellous. Nut 

 obpyramidal or obovoid, -025" long, pale brown or yellow with the 

 small bulbiform apiculus not larger than the foot, most minutely 

 transversely striate or punctulate. 



Common. Purneah, Cal. Herb. ! Monghj'r Hills, Kurz ! Sant. Parg., Gamble ! 

 Ranchi (on Ichadagh, 3000 ft.) ! Manbhum, 6'am;>. ! Singbhum ! Puri, Walsh\ 

 Barkuda (Chilka Lake), N. 4- C. Fl., Fr. July-Dec. 



Scarcely distinguishable from some Fimbristylis, which have the button on the 

 nut neaily as large. Leaves usually 2-4" only. Clarke says "glumes scarcely 

 acute," but all our specimens show some at least of the glumes with excurrent 

 keel. Gl. triangular- ovate when unfolded. Rhachilla zigzag or spiral, narrowly 

 winged between the angles. St. 3-1. 



923 



