Cype7^ts.'\ CLVi. cYPERACEiE (clarke). :)77 



long, setaceous. Spikelets 10-20, hardly as long as the little finger- 

 nail, linear, narrow, spreading, about 20-flowered. Glumes lax, linear, 

 obtuse, purple, green on the back, aristate ; the arista as long as the 

 valve, recurved like a hook, green. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra LeoJie, from the herbarium of Thoiiin or of Lamarck 

 (ex Vahl). Probably collected by Afzelius or Smeathman. 



Very distinct from C. aristatus. 



5. MARISCUS, Gsertn. Fruct. i. 11, t. 2 (excl. Bobartella). 



Spikelet 1- 20-flowered, deciduous in one piece by a disarticulation 

 above the two lowest empty glumes ; the fertile glumes long-persistent, 

 retaining the nut by the aid of the two wings of the rhachilla. Other- 

 wise as Cyperus.—Cyperus, Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 1(143 

 partly. 



Species 180, in all warm and warm-temperate regions; in the New ^^^)rld 

 several species extend to cool-temperate regions. 



As subsidiary aids to the rapid discrimination of Cyperus from Mariscus it 

 should be noted (J) All the leafless examples must be Ci/perus ; (2) All the examples 

 with less than 5 nuts to the spikelet must be Mariscus ; (3) All the examples with 

 the rhachilla of the spikelet wingless must, be Cyperus. (Gartner's first species of 

 Mariscus, his Subgenus Bobartella, is a Rynchospora.) 



■•' BuLBOCAULis. Base of the stem thickened by the turgid membranous 

 coloured (often-torn) sheaths. 



f Spikelets ripening generally more than 1 nut (usually 

 2-4, sometimes 6-10 nuts). 

 j Inflorescence congested. 

 Spikes usually condensed into 1 ovoid head (but 

 digitate in M. dregeanus, var., and in 

 M. coloratiis, var.). 

 Nuts usually 2-4 to tlie spikelet. 

 Spikelets straw-coloured or yellow. 



Stolons numerous, slender, with red-brown 



scales . ., . . . .3. M. ditirensis. 



Stolons none seen. 



Glumes with 9—17 strong ribs. 

 Spikelets 2-6-nutted. 



Spikelets obtuse . . .1. M. dregeanus. 



Spikelets acute . . . .2. M. coloratus. 



Spikelets 2-1-nutted; glumes re- 

 mote . . . . .5. M. remotus. 



Glumes with few obscure ribs , . 4. M. Jirmipes. 



Spikelets chestnut-red . . . . (5. M. maritimns. 



Nuts usually 6-8-10 to the spikelet. 



Spikelets straw-coloured ; glumes obtuse . 7. M. macropus. 

 Spikelets chestnut-red ; glumes acuminate, 



acute ...... 8. M. somaliensis. 



Spikes manifestly digitate. (Si e also M. dre- 

 geanus, var., M. coloratus, var.) 

 Glabrous. 



Spikes green variegated with red . . 9. M. Schimperi. 



Spikes blackish-green . . . ,10. M. injiatus. 



