780 CYPERACEZ. [Schenus. 
8. SCHGENUS, Linn. 
Usually perennial herbs, of very various habit, stout, erect and 
rush-like, or slender and diffuse, rarely creeping. Leaves near the 
base of the stem or cauline, sometimes reduced to sheathing scales. 
Spikelets compressed, few-flowered, panicled or capitate or fascicled. 
Glumes more or less distichous, 3 or more outer ones empty, 1-4 
succeeding ones hermaphrodite and fruit-bearing, uppermost male 
or empty; rhachilla elongated and flexuose between the flowering 
glumes, with the flowers seated in the alternate notches. Hypogy- 
nous bristles present or wanting. Stamens usually 3, rarely fewer 
or 4-6. Style slender, sometimes slightly thickened near the base ; 
style-branches 3. Nut obovoid, ovoid, or oblong, trigonous. 
A large genus of about 60 species, mainly from Australia and New Zealand, 
but a few are widely distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern 
Hemisphere and 2-3 are Malayan. Of the 7 species found in New Zealand, 3 
are endemic, the remaining 4 extend to Australia and Tasmania. 
* Stems densely tufted, erect, terete, rush-like. Leaves either reduced to 
appressed sheaths or a short erect lamina alone present. Spikelets in a narrow 
terminal panicle. 
Stems 1-2 ft., rather stout. Spikelets many, 4-4 in. long. 
Hypogynous bristles wanting. Nut trigonous, faces 
transversely rugose .. ee 30 oe .. 1. S. brevifolius. 
Stems 1-3ft., slender. Spikelets few or many, in. long. 
Hypogynous bristles present, equalling the nut or shorter 
than it. Nut obovoid, smooth SA Si .. 2. S. Lendo: 
Stems 1-24 ft., very slender. Spikelets many, ++in. 
Hypogynous bristles wanting. Nut oblong, obtuse, not 
trigonous, white .. i a Se .. 3. S. Carset. 
Stems 1-3 ft., slender. Spikelets few (2-8), +in. Hypogy- 
nous bristles pene very oes Nut bomen trigonous, 
pale-brown 4 : : e .. 4. S. pauciflorus. 
** Stems shorter, not so rigid, often diffuse. Leaves well developed. 
Spikelets fascicled or umbelled, sometimes solitary. 
Stems 2-6in., creeping or diffuse. Leaves alternate, 
spreading. Spikelets 1-3 in the axils of the leaves .. 5. 8. axillaris. 
Stems 6-14 in., slender, diffuse. Leaves mostly at the base 
of the stems, linear. eo in irregular umbels or 
fascicles .. = es .. 6. S. apogon. 
Stems 1-12in., alender, wiry, rigid. Leaves few at the 
base of the stems. Spikelets sessile in a dense head, 
sometimes few or solitary .. Be if .. 7. S. nitens. 
1. S. brevifolius, R. Br. Prodr. 231.—Rhizome short, stout, 
creeping. Stems rush-like, densely tufted, rigid, erect, terete, 
smooth and polished, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves reduced to 3 or 4 dark 
red-brown appressed sheaths at the base of the stem, the uppermost 
of which has a short rigid erect subulate lamina 4-1 in. long. 
Panicle narrow, 3-8in. long; branches slender, erect; bracts at 
the base with appressed sheaths and a short erect lamina. Spike- 
lets lanceolate, compressed, 1-4 in. long, 2-3-flowered, red-brown. 
