Ilijpobjtrmn.'] CLVi. cyperace,^ (clarke). 489 



Stem (i.e. scape) axillary, 8-12 in. long, slender, without any nodes, 

 minutely scabrid at the top. Corymb 1-2 in. in diam., of 8-l() spikes; 

 lowest bract hardly J in. long, linear. Spikes \ in. long, ovoid or sub- 

 globose. Bract to the spikelet obovate, obtuse, scarious-white. Glumes 

 to the 2 male flowers as long as the bract, keeled, subconnate at the 

 base on the anticous side of the spike, free and standing apart on the 

 posticous side ; glumes to the sterile flower smaller on the posticous side 

 of the nut. Style 2-fid. Nut obovoid, flattened, with H-9 longitudinal 

 libs, crowned by the ovoid smooth beak (style-base) overtopping the 

 bract. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia : Rio Xunez, ^ie?<f?eZy/, 747 I 



6. H. longiscaposnxn, C. B. Clarke. Rhizome horizontal, J in. in 

 diam. Leaves all basal, up to 20-30 by | in., o-nerved. Stem (i.e. 

 scape) lateral, 20-28 in. long, stout, trigonous, without nodes. Corymb 

 4-6 in. in diam., depressed, subumbellate from the numerous approxi- 

 mate branches springing horizontally, of 40-100 spikes; lowest bract 

 1-2 in. long, not leaf-like, lanceolate-linear, somewhat coloured. Spikes 

 \~\ in. long, in flower ellipsoid, in fruit globose, bright brown. Bract 

 to the spikelet jV in. long, ovate, obtuse. Glumes to the 2 lowest male 

 flowers yV in. long, keeled, distinct. Nut obovoid, flattened, smooth ; 

 the beak spongy, straw-coloured, obovoid, broader than the nut, 

 exserted above tlie bract. 



Upper Guinea. Sierra Leone: near Regent, Scoft- Elliot, 4014.1 by streams 

 in Talla Hill Plateau, north of KunJita, 3500 ft., Scott- Elliot, 5050 ! 



23. MAPANIA, Aubl. ; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. PI. iii. 1055. 



Spikelets with several empty glumes between the 2 lowest male flowers 

 and the terminal nut. Style o-fid or 2-fid. — Spikes sessile in 1 head 

 on the scapes ; otherwise as Ilyj^olytruni. 

 Species 28, throughout the Tropics. 



In this genus, the presence of several empty glumes between the 2 lowest 

 male flowers and the terminal female flower (a pistil only) renders it impossible to 

 explain the spikelet as a single axillary flower. The interpretation of the spikelet of 

 Hypolytrtim must be the same as that of Mapania. Cf. G5ebel in Ann. Jard. Bo'. 

 Buitenz. vii. 128 



Bracts small, shorter or hardly longer than the head. 



Peduncle long; spikes 40-60 in the head; style 2-fid 1. M. scaherrima. 

 Peduncle short ; spikes 3-8 in the head ; style 3 -fid . 2. M. africana. 

 Bracts 3, whereof one at least is leaf-like, much longer 

 than the head. 

 Leaves tapering at the base into a quasi-petiole at 

 least \\\\. broad. 

 Head simple. 



Head §-1 in. in diam., of 25 spikes . . .3. M.ferruginea. 



Head 2 in. in diam., of 100 spikes . . .5. M. superba. 



Head made up of 6 heads half-fifsed together . 4. M. sv.hcomponta. 



