3tto CLVX. CYi'i^iiACE.'E (claiike). ijiaritsctta. 



by brown-striated fimbriated leaf-sheaths. Leaves | the length of the 

 stem, J- in. wide, in the lower part white- margined. Umbel-rays few, 

 0-2 in. long, usually quite short, bearing 1 spike each ; bracts 5-(), 

 similar to the leaves, lowest 4-0 in. long. Spikes ^i- by ^ in., cylindric, 

 dense with spikelets spreading at right angles, pallid or pale red. 

 Spikelets J by ^^ in., bearing 1 nut only, caducous from above the 2 

 lowest empty glumes. Glumes elliptic-oblong, obtuse, 1 0-1 G -striate. 

 Nut ^ the length of the glume, linear-oblong, trigonous, black. Style 

 hardly i the length of the nut ; branches »^>, linear, of moderate length. 

 — C. B. Clarke in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vii. 187. Cyperus albornaryinatus, 

 K. Schum. in Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 122. 



Mozamb. Sist. British Central Africa : Nyasaland, Buchanan, 1432 ! 



Also in Extratropical South Africa. 



2:1 M. sieberianus, 3^eesmZ2Vmfea,ix.286. Glabrous. Stems 1-2| 

 ft. long, slender to medium-sized, at the top trigonous and striate, at the 

 base more or less 'ovoid-thickened, approximate, but hardly forming any 

 rhizome ; lower sheaths often a dull red but much less scarious wither- 

 ing than in the subgenus Bulhocaulis. Leaves often § the length of 

 the stem, ^-l in. broad, much greener than in subgenus Bulhocaulis. 

 Umbel simple, 1-5 in. in diam. ; rays 5-12, up to 1-4 in. long; bracts 

 5-10, similar to the leaves, lowest up to 4-8 in. long, scarcely dilated 

 at the base. Spikes solitary (see also var. y), often 1 by \-\ in., exactly 

 cylindric ; bracts to the spikes or minute and setaceous. Spikelets 

 very numerous, not compressed, in fruit spreading rectangularly on all 

 sides, or some towards the base of the spike defiexed, linear-lanceolate 

 or lanceolate, bearing 1 or sometimes 2 nuts, dusky sti-aw-colour or 

 yellowish, never when ripe green or reddish. Two lowest glumes empty, 

 persistent, lower triangular very shortly aristate or barely mucronate, 

 upper obtuse about as long as the lower ; spikelet disarticulating in one 

 piece above these two glumes from a small cushion. Lowest flower- 

 glume twice as long as the upper empty glume, ovate-oblong, obtuse, 

 7-1 1-ribbed, not keeled, margins enclosed round the rhachilla in fruit 

 holding the nut; rhachilla above the nut-bearinggiume (or above the 

 upper nut-bearing glume if 2 nuts be present) | the length of the nut- 

 bearing glume, 1 -nerved with 2 hyaline wings (closely simulating an 

 upper male or sterile glume), surmounted by a small scarious rudiment 

 (the true uppermost glume). Stamens 3-2 ; anthers linear-oblong, 

 muticous. Style J the length of the nut ; branches 3, linear, tmce 

 the length of the undivided part of the style. Nut |-| the length of 

 the glume, linear-oblong or scarcely oblong, trigonous, chestnut-coloured ^ 

 obpyramidal at the base, subobtuse at the top, dotted. — C. B. Clarke in 

 Hook. f. Fl. Brit. Ind. vi. 022, in Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. 

 V. 503, and in Dyer, Fl. Cap. vii. 189; Durand & Schinz, Etudes Fl. 

 Congo, i. 297 ; Durand & De Wild, in Comptes-rendus Soc. Bot. Belg. 

 xxxvi. 89 ; Urban, Symb. Antill. ii. 40. M. umhellatus, Vahl, 

 Enum. ii. 370 partly; Kuntji, Enum. ii. 118 mainly. Sciiyus cyjDeroideSy 

 Linn. Mant. 181. Cyperus umhellatus, 'Miq. in Ann. Mus. Lugd.-Bat. 

 ii. 142. C. umbellatus, var. e cylindrostachys, £indyd.v. a partly, C. B. Clarke 



