138. CYPERACE.E. [16. Carex. 



«, cruciata, WaJd. (sp.). 



Utricle ellipsoid trigonous strongly ribbed suddenly contracted into 

 a beak one-third to two-thirds the utricle. Glumes much shorter than 

 utricle, ovate, minutely mucronate or not. 



Singbhuin, Clarke \ Hazaribagh, Clark-el and also apparently specimens 

 collected by myself belong here. 



Clarke calls liis specimens vai-. uagporeinh and he furthei- describes this variety 

 as having " secondary panicles (my partial panicles) with siiberect branches 

 scarcely pyramidal, sometimes very slender, ripe utricle scarcel.v inflated fuscous- 

 green often with black or red dots in upper half, beak subconic at base ^-§ utricle,* 

 Utricles from glabrous to intensely scabrous," 



The habit of the plants so named is different, one being with very thin (like 

 pleheia) and the other with hispid-pubescent dense panicles. Spikes each with an 

 acicular bract as long as itself •2--V' long. Utricle in one specimen grey or hoary. 

 Beak of utricle one-third to one-half as long as the whole length, 



/3. filicina, Nees (sp,). 



Spikes small, often very many on slender branches, not congested, 

 female glumes not (or scarcely) mucronate, utricle small narrow- 

 ellipsoid or ovoid definitely nerved glabrous, beak linear about as 

 long as utricle. 



Parasnath, 3000 ft., Clarke. 



The actual specimen so named has glumes •06-'07" long, mucronate ! Utricle 

 twice as long, "14" including the long beak which is scaljrous or hispid and strongly 

 ribbed. 



y. plebeia, Clarke (sp.). 



Leaves narrow, partial panicles pyramidal slender, spikes brown, 

 fem. gl, ovate acute scarcely mucronate, utricle narrow ellipsoid 

 acutely trigonous strongly many-nerved hairy fuscous- brown, beak 

 scarcely one-fourth length of utricle, 



Chota Kagpur, alt. 1.500-2(XK) ft. throughout the province ! 



A Ranchi s];ecimen named by Clarke has glumes 'Oo-'OG" long with minute fine 

 aristula. The lateral spikes are 'l'"d" long only supported by filiform bracts as long, 

 and in their axils is a remarkaljle semi-globose ribbed tubercle not commented 

 on by Clarke but which also occurs in other s]iecimens of my own as well as in 

 specimens of cruciatal Utricle ■08-'12" sharply beaked and ribbed, often hispid, 

 beak nearly as long as the rest of the utricle or '04". In general it seems to me 

 that plebeia can be distinguished from cruciafa var. naffpitrennis by the much more 

 delicate partial panicles with spreading glumes. Kiikenthid (in I'flanzenreich) 

 reduces plebeia to co}itlnua and includes coudensata in cruciafa. He might have 

 gone much further in such reductions. 



2. C. stramentitia, Boott. 



Rhizome with fibrous sheaths. Stems and leaves 1-3 ft. Leaves 

 up to -5 — 7" wide, usually two of the side nerves stronger than the 

 others above. Panicle of several pyi'amidal partial panicles as in 

 the last, but straw-coloured and spikes congested. Fem. glumes 

 '1--12" long with a very distinct hispid aristula on most, sometimes 

 as long as the blade. Utricle ellipsoid beaked 3-gonous man}'- (15-20-) 

 nerved or -ribbed, -15" long with the beak half to two-thirds as long 

 as the rest. 



Ramnagar to Sikkim Tarai in the Northern Area. King, etc. ! Manbhum. 

 Campbell ! Parasnath, 4000 fc, Clarke ! FL, Fr. April. 



* By utricle Clarke apparently means the utricle without its beak. 

 935 



