14. Rhynchospora.] 138. CYPERACEM. 



1. R. Wallichiana, Kunth. 



Tufted with stems 4-24" trigonous, striate. Leaves several, about 

 half as long as stem, minutely scabrous, sometimes hairy. Spikelets 

 20-50 in the head which is -S--?" diam. with 3-8 bracts 1-3" long. 

 Glumes 6-7, 3-4 lowest empty, ovate, next one longer Avith a perfect 

 flower. Bristles 6-4 or rudimentary or 0. Nut obovoid minutely 

 scabrous on shoulders, with narrow conic beak one-fourth to one-third 

 the length of nut. Stigmas short. 



Throuj^liont India, common, Clarke, Sikkim Tarai, Clarice ! and also Central 

 Provinces ! but no specimens actually from within our area. Fl., Fr. Oct. 



2. R. aurea, Vahl. 



A stout herb 2-3 ft. high, smooth or scabrous upwards with leaves 

 1-2 ft. long by -5-1" broad, the whole length of stem. Spikelets 

 numerous brown lanceolar acuminate -2- -3" long in several (3-5) 

 corymbs on a panicle often 1 foot long. Glumes about 7, lowest 3-4 

 ovate smaller, next one with perfect flower. Bristles 6, as long as 

 nut, sometimes unequal or deficient. Nut obovoid truncate with 

 beak as long. Stigmas 2 short. 



North Bengal, Kurz (possibly Purneah) ! Common throughout India, Clarke. 



3. R. Hookeri, Boeck. 



Less robust than aurea and Avith a very lax inflorescence of distant 

 clusters of ovoid acuminate spikelets -IS — 2" long, clusters with 1-5 

 spikelets. Nut obovoid chestnut-coloured, smooth, suddenly nar- 

 rowed into a very small cylindric neck, beak linear as long as the nut 

 greenish straw coloured (in R. aurea the beak is nearly as broad as the 

 nut at base). 



Nathpur, Ham, ! (There are two Nathpurs, one in Bhagalpur, the other iu 

 Dinajpur to the east of Purneah, the one within, the other close to our area.) 

 Fl., Fr. Aug.-Sept. 



15. SCLERIA, Berg, 



Annual or with rhizomes. Stems leafy 3-sided. Leaves grass-like, 

 3-nerved often with cutting scabrid edges, base sheathing. Spike- 

 lets in an elongate compound panicle with the partial panicles in the 

 axils of leaves which become bractiform upwards, panicle sometimes 

 narrow or reduced nearly to a spike. FloAvers all unisexual, male 

 and female in the same spikelet or more usually in distinct spikelets 

 in the same cluster or branch. Bisexual spikelet with one female 

 flower below and a few males above, female spikelet similar but upper 

 male portion reduced to a small rudiment or (when the female fl. 

 appears terminal). Glumes several, 2-4 empty in the female spkt. 

 below the fruit-bearing "female glume"; fern, glume amplexicaul 

 but margins not united round the pistil, male spikelets with 2-3 

 empty glumes at base and often several anther- bearing, stamens 3-1, 

 anthers linear often mucronate. Nut bony and usually shining, 

 style linear, deciduous, stigmas 3 long. There is usually a short 

 gynophore under the nut dilated into a saucer or disc which is often 

 3-lobed. 



930 



