390 CLVi. CYPERACE^ (clakke). [JlarisciLs. 



41. M. rufusy //. 7i. d-K. Nov. Gen. et Sp. i. 216, t. 67. Glabrous, 

 robust. Rhizome hardly any. Stem 1-4 ft. long, at the top trigonous 

 and smooth. Leaves J the length of the stem, J- J in. broad, very 

 tough, often marked by small transverse lines, serrate-scabrous on the 

 margins, and often on the keel beneath. Umbel ;^)-S in. in diam., 

 compound, with stout rays ; bracts 4-7, similar to the leaves, lowest 

 12-18 in. long. Spikes numerous, congested, long-(or short-) cyiindric, 

 very dense, ^-J in. in diam., rufous (from pale cinnamon to a full red- 

 brown). Spikelets spreading at right angles or deflexed, inflated, terete, 

 normally \ by ^^r in. with 3 nuts ; not rarely (in the same spike) few 

 or many spikelets grow out to f in. in length, barren compressed ; 

 rhachilla deciduous in one piece above the two lowest empty glumes. 

 Nut-bearing glumes ovate, obtuse, even in fruit adpressedly imbricate, 

 1'1-15-ribbed, uniformly reddish-brown, or (rarely) the hardly-keeled 

 midrib green. Nut J the length of the glume, triquetrous, suddenly 

 narrowed at the top into a short acumination, chestnut-black. Style 

 less than ^ the length of the nut ; branches 3, linear. — Kunth, Enum. 

 ii. 123 ; C. B. Clarke in Durand & Schinz, Oonspect. Fl. Afr. v. 592 ; 

 Durand & Schinz, Etudes El. Congo, i. 297; Urban, Symb. Antill. ii. 

 48; Rendle in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. ii. 119. Cyperus ligularis, Linn. 

 Amoen. Acad. v. 391, and Sp. PL ed. 2, 70 ; Schumach. Beskr. Guin. PI. 

 40; Kunth, Enum.ii. 79; Benth. in Hook. Niger Fl. 551; Boeck. in Engl. 

 Gazelle Beise, Bot. 15, and in Linnaga, xxxvi. 332; Ridley in Trans. 

 Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Bot. ii. 142, and in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxvii. 67 ; 

 Henriques in Bolet. Soc. Brot. v. 208. C. bidentatics, Vahl, Enum. ii. 

 330 ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 62. C. ruhescens, Schrader ex Steud. Syn. PI. 

 Glum. ii. 27. C. glaucoviridis, Boeck. in Allgem. Bot. Zeitschr. 1890, 

 19. 



Vpper Guinea. Senegambia, Seudeloty 442 ! Cape Verd, Smith ! Gambia : 

 Bathurst, J/ow / ^'ievv?iJjeox\e, Afzelius, Voffel, 42 I Liberia: Mowrovin, Naumann, 

 (ex Boeckeler'), Gold Coast, Burton ! Dahomey, Newton ! Lagos, Milieu, 219 ! 

 Fernando Po, Barter ! 



Xiower Guinea. Princes Island, Welwitsch, 7037 ! 7037b ! Island of St. 

 Thomas, Rattray I Moller ^ Quintas in Fl. Afr. Exsicc. Conimbric, 121 ! Lower 

 Congo, Smith/ 



Also in Madeira, the Mascarene Islands and Tropical America. 



Var. spicatocapitaizis, C. B. Clarke in Durand & Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. 

 T. 592. Spikelets longer, maturing 4-7 nuts, brighter, more variegated in colour. — 



Cyperus spicatocapitatus, Jardin, Herbor. 7 ; Steud. Syn. PI. Glum. ii. 27. 



C. thyrsiflorus, Boeck. in Flora, 1879, 557, and in Engl. Gazelle Reise, Bot. 15 ; not 

 of Jungh. 



Upper Guinea. Liberia : Monrovia, Natimann (ex BoecJceler). West Tropical 

 Africa, Jardin ! 



laovrer Guinea. Loango : Ponta Negra, Soyatix^ 109 ! 



42. M. umbilensis, C. B. Clarke ex W. Watson in Gard.Chron. 1891, 

 X. 190. Stem at the top triquetrous and often scabrous. Glumes sub- 

 remote on the rhachilla ; spikelets less turgid ; otherwise as M. rufus. — 



