Victorian Plants. 469 



HELEOCHARIS. 



1989. Stems hollow, the cavity intercepted by transverse 



partitions. 



Tall, somewhat submerged ; root tuber-bearing ; stems tall, 

 comparatively thick ; spikelet long, cylindrical ; floral 

 bracts numerous, blunt, often intra-marginally dark- 

 colored, without any prominent keel ; anthers very nar- 

 row ; stigmas two or three ; fruit somewhat compressed, 

 subtile-dotted, greyish-brown, shining. 



H. sphacelata. 



Stems solid 1990 



1990. Stems almost capillary. 



Quite dwarf, often producing offshoots ; stems quite short, 

 somewhat angular ; spikelet minute ; floral bracts few, 

 dark-brown, blunt ; rudimentary sepals and petals only 

 partially present ; stigmas three ; fruit extremely small, 

 trigonous, pale. H. acicularis. 



Stems thickly filiform 1991 



1991. Fruit triangular. 



Producing radical offshoots ; stems rather dwarf ; spikelet 

 short, ovate-ellipsoid ; floral bracts mostly blunt, dis- 

 tinctly keeled, laterally brown ; stigmas three. 



H. inulticaulis. 



Fruit biangular. 



Producing offshoots ; stems without any angular lines ; 

 spikelet ellipsoid-cylindrical, somewhat pointed ; floral 

 bracts dark- or black-brown, distinctly keeled ; stigmas 

 two ; fruit convex on both sides. H. acuta. 



FXIVXBRISTYXiZS. 



1992. Perennial ... 1993 



Annual 1994 



1993. Fruit longitudinally and transversely streaked. 



Rather tall and firm ; stems somewhat angular or com- 

 pressed ; leaves few, quite narrow ; spikelets in a 

 generally compound cymous umbel, ovate-ellipsoid ; floral 

 bracts brown ; stamens two or one ; style flattened, cilio- 

 lated ; stigmas two ; fruit biconvex, whitish. 



F. c omniums. 



