140. ERIOCAULACEM. [1. Eriocaulon. 



b. Floral bracts glabrous or nearly so. Recept. 

 glabrous or villous. M. petals all minute or 0: — 

 Height 7-16". Recept. villose. Fl. bracts sub- 

 aristate . . . . . . .7. oryzetorum. 



Height 3-7". Recept. glabrous. Hds. broader 

 than long. Fl. bracts obtuse or acute. Fem. 

 sep. 3-2 . . . . . . .8. truncatum. 



2. Bracts all pale or inner dark grey, Invol. campanu- 

 late, bracts never reflexed. erect or finally 

 spreading, exceeding the floral : — 

 a. Floral bracts short rounded or truncate and 



hirsute at the tips. . . . . .9. xeranthemum. 



b. Floral bracts glabrous or slightly hairy at the 

 more or less pointed tips : — 

 Invol. bracts rounded, not longer than the rest 

 of the head . . . . . .10. achiton. 



Invol. bracts acute, exceeding rest of the head , 11. Edwardii. 



1. E. setaceum, L. Inc. E. capillus-naiadis, Hook. f. 



A submerged aquatic with the stems clothed with short capillary 

 leaves 1 • 5-2" long, densely disposed like the hairs of a tail ; the tip 

 of the stem floats at or near the surface and bears very many slender 

 umbellately fascicled 6-ribbed peduncles l'5-3" long which are exserted 

 from the water. Heads small, onh' about • 1" diam,, pale grey or 

 nearly black. 



Floating in stagnant waters, Northern Bengal (Titalyah), Kiirz ! Probably 

 also Pumeah. Fl. Aug.-Sept. 



Leaves very slender flexuous 1-nerved. Sheath of peduncles •75-1" long with 

 membranous tip. Receptacle convex or conical, villous. Invol. bracts very 

 small, oblong or cuneate, glabrous. Fl. bracts cymbiform all or outer glabrous, 

 said to be coriaceous and black in form setaceum, membranous and whitish in 

 form capillus-naiadis (but I think Ruhland rightly unites the two in one species), 

 inner with long white dorsal hairs in form capillus-naiadis (always ?). Male sepals 

 usually connate into a split spathe, corolla-tube with 3 very minute petals with 

 white hairs, stamens 6 with black anthers. Fem. sepals obovate-cymbiform, 

 hairy on the back at apex, petals 3 narrow ciUate, usually with a black gland. 

 Seeds oblong smooth dark brown. 



Our plant is named E. capillus-naiadis in the Cal. Herb. 



2. E. rivulare, Dalz. Var. ?. 



A submerged aquatic with long stems clothed with slender flaccid 

 leaves 6-9" long dilated membranous and conspicuously fenestrate 

 at the base. Peduncles few, very long, 12-20", 10-sulcate, the grooves 

 corresponding to inner tubes round a central core. Heads -3" diam., 

 white-villous on a pale or black ground. Invol. bracts pale grey or 

 black glabrous suborbicular or transversely oblong, partly reflexed 

 in fruit, concealed by the broader head. 



Deep running streams in the forests, Saranda, Singbhum ! Fl. Feb.-April 

 (probably also at other times). 



Stems often emitting roots in the water. L. -07" wide above the dilated sheath, 

 with 4-7 nerves and fine cross-nervules, tips filamentous opaque. Sheath of 

 peduncles 3" long, inflated, oblique and split at mouth. Head broader than long, 

 Invol. br. about -05" long, often twice as broad, somewhat irregularly truncate. 

 Fl. br. -08- -09" linear-oblanceolate or cuneate-oblanceolate and suddenly acute, 

 usually black towards tip where it is clothed dorsally with white short stiff hairs. 

 Receptacle convex glabrous (or pilose, Ruhland), clothed at tip with persistent 

 bracts. M. : calyx spathaceous obcuneate or splitting into sepals, shortly white- 

 hairy at tip, pet. minute, one longer and exceeding calyx, villous, st. 6, anthers 

 white. Fem. sepals 2 (or 3 ?). linear-oblong narrowed below, -08" long, black 

 with few hairs at apex and on back, concave ; stipes and pedicel about • 02" or 



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