302 CLVi. CYPERACE^ (clarke). [Pycreus. 



The inflorescence, spikelets and nuts appear to me so identical with those ot 

 P. smithianus, from the same locality, that I cannot but suspect they are one species. 

 The diversity in the base of the stem is so striking that more material must 

 be awaited before uniting the two. 



25. P. minimus, C. B. Clarke. Roots fibrous. Stems 1| in. 

 long, weak. Leaves 1 by yV-iV i^'» weak. Umbel J in. in diam., 

 of G-9 spikelets; rays 2-3, O-J in. long; bracts 2-3, lowest J in. 

 long and similar to the leaves. Spikes of 2-4 spikelets. Spikelets 

 1 by ^5 in., chestnut, 0-12-flowered. Glumes ovate, not acute, rather 

 distant" keel green. Style slender; branches 2, long, linear. Nut | 

 the length of the glume, ellipsoid, compressed laterally, brown ; super- 

 ficial cells minute square. — Cyperus minimus, K. Schumann MS., non 

 Thunb. 



Nile Xiand. British East Africa : Rabai Hills, near Mombasa, Taylor! 

 Mozaml). Dist. Zanzibar, Stuhlmann, i. 65 ! 



26. P. m,elas, C. B. Clarke in Durand <h Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. 

 V. 538. Annual. Stems 2-6 in. long, tufted, almost setaceous. Leaves 

 i-| the length of the stem, almost setaceous. Umbel of 5-10 spikelets, 

 nearly contracted into a head; rays 1-4, 0-| in. long; bracts 2-3, 

 lowest 2 in. long, similar to the leaves. Spikelets 2-4 together, almost 

 digitate, f by yg in., 8-30-flowered, black-chestnut, with parallel sides. 

 Glumes ovate, obtuse, chestnut, narrowly scarious-yellow on the 

 margins. Style small, the two linear branches hardly exserted. Nut 

 \ the length of the glume, ellipsoid, apiculate, ashy black ; superficial 

 cells small, square.— Rendle in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. ii. 108. 



I.ower Guinea. Angola : Pungo Andongo ; 3500 ft. ; marshy places near 

 Lombe, Welwitsch, 6913 ! Mutollo, Serra de Guinga, Welwitsch, 6914 ! 7154 ! 

 Huilla ' lofty pastures of Morro de Lopollo, 5000 ft., Welwitsch, 6871 ! 



27. P. eleganttdus, C. B. Clarke in Durand (L- Schinz, Conspect. 

 FL Afr. V. 536. Annual. Stems 8-28 in. long. Leaves f the length 

 of the stem, j\-i in. broad. Umbel of 1-7 dense compound spikes, 

 often 1-headed, but rays sometimes 2-3 in. ; bracts 3-5, lowest 3-9 in. 

 long, similar to the leaves. Spikes dense, of 5-30 spikelets, (several 

 often congested, forming a mass of 80 spikelets or more), ebracteolate. 

 Spikelets ^-f by ^^ in., 6-1 6 -flowered, . much compressed, hard. 

 Glumes ovate, kedied,*'subobtuse, uniformly black-chestnut, not nerved 

 on the sides, the keel broad green. Style short, the two branches 

 hardly exserted. Nut J-§ the length of the glume, obovoid, apiculate, 

 smooth, the superficial cells minute square. — Cyperus melanocephalus, 

 R. Br. in Salt, Abyss. Append, iv. 63 name only. C. elegantulus, 

 Steud. in Flora, 1842, 583, and Syn. PI. Glum. ii. 11; Hook. f. in 

 Journ. Linn. Soc. vii, 224 ? ; K. Schum. in Eugl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 117. 

 C. atronitens, Hochst. in Flora, 1841, i. Intell. 20; A. Rich. Tent. Fl. 

 Abyss, ii. 476 ; Boeck. in Linnsea, xxxv. 456 ; Schweinf. Beitr. Fl. 

 Aethiop. 215, and in Bull. Herb. Boiss. ii. Append, ii. 46, 102; 0. B. 



