:298 CLvi. CYPERACE.E (clarke). [Pyo'eus. 



Spikelets loosely spicate, much flattened, hard, shining black-chestnut- 

 coloured. Glumes rigidly imbricate ; keel yellowish or nearly black ; 

 •otherwise as P. polystachyos, Beauv., var. laxijlora, Benth, — Rendle in 

 Oat. Afr. Pi. Welw. ii. 109. Cyperus uEthiops^ Welw. ex Kidley in 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Bot. ii. 129, 



Iiower Guinea. Angola : Huilla ; in wet pastures near Ferrao da Sola, 

 5000 ft., Welwitsch, 6875 ! 



In the genus Pycreus it has been usual to rely much on the colour of the spike- 

 lets for separating the closely-allied species. It must be recollected that in Cyperus 

 ^lohosus, AUioni, spikelets of every colour, from green to black, occur ; and the 

 present species^ might be nmde a variety of P. liolystachyos. 



IG. P. sulcinux, C. B. Clarke in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 598. 

 Annual. Stems 3-9 in. long, tufted. Leaves basal, often as long as 

 the stem, J— J in. broad, weak. Spikes in a simple umbel 3-C in. in 

 diam. ; rays 3-7; bracts 3-5, lowest exceeding the umbel, similar to 

 the leaves. Spikelets 4-11 in the loose spike, up to J by ^ in., 8-28- 

 flowered, flattened, straw-coloured to yellow. Glumes somewhat dis- 

 tant, ovate, subacute. Nut f the length of the glume, oblong-obovoid, 

 asymmetric, the face next the rhachilla being straight or somewhat con- 

 cave. — C. B. Clarke in Durand k Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. v. 542. 

 Cyperus sulcinux^ C. B. Clarke in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxi. 5G, and xxv. 

 80; K. Schum. in Engh Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 117. 



XVIozaxnl). Bist. British Central Africa : Nyasaland ; Umbaka River, Scott ! 

 ^omba Rock, Whyte ! 



Also in India and Malaya. 



The spikelets of the Nyasaland specimens are considerably finer and broader than 

 anything hitherto referred to P. polystachyos ; they are larger even than in 

 JP. ferrugineus. 



17. P. pelophilus, C. B. Clarke in Durand d- Schins^ Conspect. 

 FL Afr. V. 540. Roots fibrous. Stems tufted, 1 ft. long, rather stout. 

 Leaves basal, 8 by J in., weak. Bracts 5, spreading, lowest up to 5 in. 

 long similar to the leaves ; rays of umbel about 7, up to 4 in. long ; 

 umbellules (secondary umbels) with rays 0-1 in. long. Spikelets 1 by 

 j^Q in., yellowish, 12-30-flowered. Glumes ovate, hardly acute, rather 

 distant in fruit. Style small, the 2 linear branches hardly exserted. 

 Nut J the length of the glume, obovoid, very 1 -sided, black, much 

 compressed, the faces almost concave. — Rendle in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. 

 ii. 109. Cyperv^ jjelophilus., Ridley in Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Bot. ii. 

 129. 



Iiovrer Guinea. Angola : Loanda, 3000 ft. ; in dried-up places near Bemposta 

 and near Cumano, Welivitsch, 7025! near Fort de Conceicao, Welwitsch, 7082 ! 

 Mossamedes, 1000 ft. ; marshes near Giraul, Welwitsch, 6887 ! German South-west 

 Africa : Hereroland, Dinter, 50 ! 



18. P. ferrugineus, C. B. Clarke in Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 

 593. Roots fibrous. Stems 1-2 ft. long, robust. Leaves J the length 

 of the stem, up to \ in. broad. Umbel 2-5 in. broad, simple or nearly 



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