508 CLVi. CYPERACRfi (clarke). [Scleria. 



30. S. racemosa^ Poir. m Lam. Encycl. vii. (>. Glabrous, robust. 

 Rhizome thick, covered with ovate-oblong striate black-red scales. 

 Stems 3-C ft. long, \-\ in. in diam. Leaves 1-2 ft. by \-^\ in. broad, 

 3-nerved, scabrous on the edges, near the top suddenly narrowed (prse- 

 morse) on each margin ; sheaths 3-winged, two wings much stronger 

 than the third ; ligule ovate-triangular, often \ in. long. Inflorescence 

 often 12 in. long; partial panicles 2-8 in. long on stout axillary 

 peduncles, running into a terminal compound panicle. Spikelets all 

 1-sexual, \ in. long, pallid or dusky. Female glumes ovate, much 

 shorter than the nut. Nut (but see var. /3) ovoid, \-\ in. long, smooth, 

 shining, white or variously discoloured chestnut or greenish -brown, top 

 conic, tipped for a time by the style-base ; disc large thickened, the 

 lobes forming a cup, the subentire margin of which is densely ciliate 

 with yellow-brown hairs.— Kunth, Enum. ii. 344 ; Boeck. in Linna?a, 

 xxxviii. 522; Oliver in Trans. Linn. Soc. xxix. 169, t. Ill; C. B. 

 Clarke in Dur^nd k Schinz, Conspect. Fl. Afr. v. 674; K. Schum. in 

 Engl. Pfl. Ost-Afr. C. 129; Durand & Schinz, Etudes Fl. Congo, i. 

 310; Durand & De Wild, in Comptes-rendus Soc. bot. Belg. xxxvi. 90; 

 Rendle in Cat. Afr. PI. Welw. ii. 135. >S'. ciliolata, Boeck. in Flora, 1882, 

 31. S. palmifolia^ Ridley in Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, Bot, ii. 171, not of 

 Schlechtend. Ophryoscleria raceniosa, Nees in Mart. Fl. Bras. ii. i. 183. 



IVile Xiand. British East Africa : Jur ; Jur Gliattas, Schiveinfurth, 1353 ! 

 Madi ; by the side of a stream, Speke Sf Grant ! Western side of Ruwenzori, Scott- 

 miiot, 7368 ! 



l^o'wer Guinea. Congo River, 5?<r/o» .' Laurent! Angola: Golungo Alto; 

 marshes by the River Cuango, near Sange, Welwitsch, 7128 ! 



Soutb Central. Congo Free State, Beivevre, 935 ! Nlempu, Butaye, 1184 ! 



IMEozaxnb. Dist. Zanzibar, Kirk ! British Central Africa : Nyasahmd ; 

 Songui to Karonga, 1700-2000 ft., Whyte ! Namasi, Cameron, 4 ! 



Also in the Mascarene Islands. 



Var. /3 depresf.a, C. B. Clarke in Durand & Schinz, Conspect, Fl. Afr. v. 674. 

 Nut broader than long, flat or depressed at the top, often witli a circular groove. 



Upper Guinea. Senegambia : on the shore, Heudelot, 368 ! Senegal, 

 Michelin ! Cape Verd, J^erroitet I Gambia, Inyram ! Lagos, Millen,96l Niger 

 Territory : Nupe; in shady ravines, Barter, 921 ! 



This is a striking variety in its extreme form, but there is a complete series of 

 forms passing into typical S. racemosa. 



40. S. Vogelii, C. B. Clarke in Durand d- Schinz, Conspect Fl. 

 Afr. V. 675. Less robust than aS'. racemosa, Poir. Ligule very short, 

 often truncate or nearly so. Nut about -^^ in. in diam., considerably 

 smaller than that of S. racemosa ; margin of the disc somewhat lobed, 

 with scattered white hairs ; otherwise as S. racemosa. — S. racemosa ? 

 Benth. in Hook. Niger Fi. 555. 



Upper Guinea. Siena Leone, Smeathmann ! Liberia : Grand Bassa, Voyel, 

 59! Liigos : Abeokutn, Irviny ! and without precise locality, Millen, 154! 

 Cameroons : Batanga, Bates, 317 ! and without precise locality, Braun, 44 ! 



Xiower Guinea. Gaboon River, Mann, 1023 ! Buchhoh ! 



