Materials for a Flora of the Malayan Peid)isida. 79 



Spikclets 1 to many in a lateral head. 



Tall leafless plant, stem stout .. .. 1. ^\ mucronatus. 



Slender plants Avitli narrow leaves, annual. 



Bristles 3. «S'. supinas. 



Bristles 6-7 3. *b'. erectus. 



Spikelets in large umbels -i. S. grossus. 



1. S. MUCROX ATI'S, Linn. Sp. PI. Vo. liliizome present or not. 

 Stems tall stout triquetrous 3-4 feet tall, leaflets except for .a basal 

 slieatli with a papery limb. Spikelets 6 or 9 in a single dense head 

 or often 2 heads. Bract like the continuation of the stem 3 inches 

 long acute. Spikelets cylindric ^-f inch long. Glumes ovate mucro- 

 nate brown edges pubescent. Bristles 6 much longiu- than the nut. 

 Style trifid. Xut obovoid bluntly trigonous Ijlack smooth. l\chb. Ic. 

 Fl. Germ. YIII. 4^). t. 303. Boeck. Linnaea. XXXV 1. 703. Clarke 

 Fl. Brit. Ind. Vl. 657. S. muticus, Don. Prodr. 41. ^'. triangulatus, 

 lloxh. Fl. Ind. I. 217. X'ees. in Wight. Contrib. 111. S. jaranus, 

 X"ees. I.e. 112. ^'. sundanus, Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. III. 304. 



Singapore (Kiirz 2996), Chan Chu Kang (Pidley 1123), 

 Thompson Eoad (Murton) ; Malacca (Grittith 6258) ; Pahang: Pekan 

 (Ridley 1210); Selangor: Klang, Kuala Lumpur (Pidley), Xegri 

 Semlulan, Seremban; Perak : Taiping; Penang: Pulau Betong (Cur- 

 tis 1962). Distrib. Europe, African Islands, Indo-Malaya and Poly- 

 nesia. A'ery connnon in ponds and ditches. 



2. S. .supixus, Linn. Sp. PI. 73. (partly). Stems slender or 

 \-ery slender solitary or tufted 6-12 inches tall. Leaves narrow short 

 -|- tiie length. Spikelets few in a single lateral head I- inch long. 

 Bracts 1-3 inches long very narrow. Glumes ovate keeled with an 

 erect mucro. Bristles 0. Xut oljovoid trigonous strongly wrinkled 

 black. Pioxb. Fl. Ind. I. 217. Boeck. Linnaea. XXXYI. 699 (excl. 

 B. & J.). Clarke Fl. Brit. Ind, A'l. 655. S. mcJaaospermus, A. C. 

 Meyer Cyp. Xov. t. 2. I>iolepis siipina, Br. Prod. 221. X^'ces. Wight. 

 Contrib. "107. Mi(|. Fl. Ind. Bat. III. 300. Schocnas junccus, WilkL 

 Phyto. I. 2. t. 1. iig. 4. 



Province Wellesley: Permatang Bertam in rice-fields (Pidlcy). 

 Distrib. Tropics of Old World and America. 



3. S, ERECTUS, Poir. Encyc. VI. 761. Stems solitary or tufted 

 slender or very slender 6-24 inches long. Leaves few or reduced to 

 sheaths. Spikelets solitary or 4-6 in a cluster ^ to 1 inch long conic 

 or cylindric. Bract narrow linear acuminate 1-3 inches long erect 

 like a continuation of the stem. Glumes rounded ovate not keeled. 

 Bristles 6-5 rarely absent. Style bifid or trifid. Xut broadly obovoid 

 flattened slightly plano-convex yellowisli or l)lack. Clarke Fl. Brit. 

 Ind. A^I. 656. *,Sr. dcbilii^, Pursh. Fl. xVnu. Sept. I. oo. Benth. Fl. 



