138. CYPEUACEM. [U. Eriophobum. 



margins, rounded notched or subentire but midrib excurrent as a 

 short cusp or awn, lateral nerves obscure. Bristles 4-5, -05" long, 

 pubescent or plumose upwards. St. 3-2 longer than the bristles ; 

 anther shortly appendaged (red-crested, Clarke). Nut obovoid, 

 compressed, apiculate, brown, -06—07" smooth (faintly marked with 

 the minute longitudinally elongated cells under high power). 

 In shallow waters of the Chilka Lake ! Fl., Fr. Dec-Jan. t , o// 



Rhizome hardly any, sometimes slender stolons are present (Clarke). L. 1-i 

 or sometimes 4" long and green {Clarke}. The young spikelets are often deep 

 purple the old ones light brown, when full grown they are 3--6" long, or more 

 after fall of the lower glumes. Pedicels flattened, scabrous. Edge of glumes 

 often sparsely puberulous. Style about -1" and stigmas longer. 



8. S. grossus, L. f. Syn. S. kysoor, Roxh.-. S. maximus, Roxb. T 

 Kesor, Kesari, Beug., H. 



A very large sedge 4-6 ft. with the roots or stolons frequently 

 bearing black tubers. Stems sharply 3-quetrous or 3-winged. Leaves 

 almost as long as the stem, spongy, up to 1" broad. Involucral bracts 

 3 foliaceous up to 18" long. Spikelets brown ovoid -15—3" long in 

 large decompound panicles 5-8" long and broad. Glumes brown 

 scarious •12-- 14" long nearly muticous or with a short cusp or awn up 

 to -05" long (var. kysoor) proceeding from the back below the apex, 

 broadly obovate-oblong, concave, midrib below cusp distinct or 

 obscure otherwise nerveless. Bristles usually 6, sometimes fewer, 

 exceeding the nut. Nut -07" long including the marked apiculus,. 

 elliptic -obo void, 3-gonous, brown, without markings. 



In tanks, etc, usually in a foot or more of water. Northern Bengal. K'lrsl 

 Ranchi ! also at Raipiir in the O.P. and Bengal and probably in Sambalpur and 

 other districts. Fl. . Fr. Sept.-Dec 



Wino-s of stem, edges of leaves and involucral bracts sometimes mmutely 

 scabrous (soft and smooth in my C.P. specimen). L. keeled, sowewhat translucent 

 when fresh. Branches of panicle angled, scabrid. Rays, pedicels and glumes some- 

 times minutely pubescent. Anthers 3, l" long linear, minutely apiculate. Bristles, 

 I believe, always occur in our plant but they are rather late in development and are 

 small in the flower (possibly Roxburgh's S. maximus is a distinct species?), barbs 

 on the bristles not always found. Ovary linear with a very large style base.. 

 Style OS-'Oi", stigmas 3, longer than the style. 



Used for making coarse matting in Dinajpur (Bengal). The small tubers are 

 eaten. 



11. ERIOPHORUM, L. Cotton-grass. 



Glabrous or nearly so with leaves only near the base. Spikelets few 

 or many with all glumes spirally imbricate. Bristles 6 divided nearly 

 to the base into numerous capillary segments which become greatly 

 elongated in fruit so that the inflorescence becomes cottony. Stamens 

 3-1, anterior. Style slender, glabrous, deciduous, stigmas 3. Nut 

 sessile, 3-gonous, smooth, narrowed at the apex. 



1. E. comosum. Wall. 



A tufted wiry sedge with swollen bases to the stems, somewhat 

 resembling " Bhabar grass " in general appearance (with which it has- 

 sometimes been confused) the leaves being long and very narrow and 

 often overtopping the stem, edges scabrid, leaf-sheaths not woolly a& 

 in the "Bhabar grass," but upper parts hke the stems sometimes very 

 thinly pilose. Flowering stems 4-30" slender, tough, bearing com- 



927 



