138. CYPERACEM. [10. Scirpus. 



A. Umbels often sub-capitate or simple, never decompound :— 



Gl. -25". Bristles 6-3 scabrid Q. marihmns. 



Gl. "IS". Bristles plumose or long-pubescent . ^ • 7. liftorahs. 



B. Very robust, with decompound umbels 5-8" broad. Gl. 



•i2-U". Bristles smooth or scabrid .... 8. grossus. 



1. S. isolepis, Boeck. Syn. Hemicarpha isolepis, Nees. 



A very small tufted annual with setaceous stems -5-4" high only, 

 bearing a single spikelet -OT-'IS" long below the top, almost at right 

 angles to the stem (and short erect bract). Leaves 1-2, -25-1" long, 

 filiform. Glumes minute -02- -03" obovate rhomboid obtuse, minutely 

 mucronulate Avith the excurrent keel. Bristles but a thin hyaline 

 obovate irregular scale (rarely 2), as long as the nut, is sometimes 

 obliquely laterally placed between the nut and glume {Clarkein F.B.I.). 

 St. 1, lateral. Nut a little shorter than the glume, biconvex, narrowly 

 obovoid, beautifully white reticulate with the areoles black. Style 

 less than ^ nut, stigmas short recurved. Bristles 0. 



Ranchi, Clarke I Plains of Bihar, J". D.IZ". ! Moughyr ! FL, Fr. Nov. 



2. S. squarrosus, L. 



A small sedge l-o-lO" high. Leaves 1-2 short, on the inflated 

 many-nerved sheaths. Spikelets densely softly bristly from the tails 

 of the glumes, usually 1-4 (up to 10, Clarke), clustered almost at right 

 angles on the stem, a--2" long or elongating to -4" after fall of lower 

 glumes. Bract -3-2" long, erect (when the spikelets appear lateral) 

 or not, a second shorter bract often present. Glumes oblong square 

 shouldered then suddenly contracted to an awn or tail longer than 

 the blade, -03" long without the tail which is slightly recurved. 

 Bristles 0. St. 2-1, very short. Style minute with 3 recurved 

 stigmas. Nut -02", narrowly obovoid, trigonous, brown to black, 

 very minutely black punctulate much as in the last. 



Mong-hyr, Ham. I Singbhum sands of the Karo River! Hazaribagh, Clarke I 

 Manbhum (Barakar), Clarke ! Fl., Fr. Sept. -Jan. 



3. S. supinus, L. 



A leafless or nearly leafless sedge 2-18" high (usually 4-8") with 

 slender terete stems sheathed at the base and terete brownish spike- 

 lets •12--2" long in lateral clusters, occasionally with a stalked cluster 

 (ray) added. Glumes -08—1" long, cymbiform, keel narrow ending 

 in a minute usually black or dark coloured acute mucro, lateral nerves 

 0. Bristles 0. Nut •04--045" long, more or less 3-sided but one face 

 usually broader than the other two and the angle between the two 

 smaller faces sometimes rounded, faces transversely undulate-lineolate, 

 apex minutely apiculate. 



Rice-fields and rivulets. Ranchi, Gamble ! Singbhum, common ! Hazaribagh, 

 common ! Probably in all districts. 



Short leaves, usually under 1" are sometimes present. Head of spikelets 

 sometimes placed about the middle of the stem (some botanists treat the stem 

 above the head as the lowest bract) but usually higher. Spkts. usually 15-20-fld. 

 Gl. with linear green keel and brown- scarious sides. St. 3. Stigmas 3. 



Var. uninodis, Clarke. The heads are sub-umbellate, i. e. having 

 1-3 rays rarely I" long in addition to the sessile head. 

 Hazaribagh, Clnrke. 



925 



