CXLI. CYPEKACEiE. 421 



colour, with simple culms, leafy at base only, and solitary, terminal, straw- 

 coloured spikelets. — Eastern districts. 



10. FICINIA, Schrad. 



Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes imbricated on all sides. 

 Perianth 0. Stamens 3. Ovary mostly sitting on a fleshy 

 disk ; style 3-fid, rarely 2-fid, equal at base, deciduous. 

 Acliene pointed or ])ointless, flattish on the inner, convex and 

 bluntly an<;led on the outer side, very rarely convex on both 

 sides, mostly on a fleshy entire or 2-3-lobed disk. — Kanth, I.e. 

 p. 251. 



Culms leafy below or leafless. Spikelets very variously disposed ; solitary 

 or few or many in a cluster or capitate-glonuTulate, rarely racemose ; glo- 

 merules compound or umbelled. Glumes keeled, many-nerved. — Many 

 species, very diverse in aspect. 



11. MELANCRANIS, Yahl. 



Spikelets few-flowered, minute, crowded in a head and mixed 

 with large, imbricated, membranous, acuminate, dorsally con- 

 vex, glume-like bracts, which conceal the spikelets. Glumes 

 imbricated on all sides. Perianth 0. Stamens 3. Ovary on 

 a fleshy disk ; style deeply 3-fid, equal at base, deciduous. 

 Achene 3-angled, obtuse, on a disk. — Kunth, I.e. p. 264. 



M. scariosa, the only certain (of 3 or 4) species, looks like a 1-headed 

 Ficinia, but on examination the inflorescence will be found to be very dif- 

 ferent. The heads vary in size and the bracts in colour. — Found through- 

 out the colony. 



TeIBE 3. IlTPOLTTREiE. (Gcu. 12-13.) 



12. HEMICARPHA, Nees. 



Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes imbricated on all sides, 

 obovate-cuneate, deciduous ; inner (palea) smaller ; lateral 

 very thin, hyaline, clasping the flower. Perianth 0. Stamens 

 1, sublateral. Style 2-fid. Achene elliptic-oblong, subterete, 

 umboned, punctulate, enrolled in a hyaline scale. — Kunth, I.e. 

 p. 268. 



A small plant, resembling Isolepis setacea. Culms tufted, leafy at bnso 

 leaves setaceous. Spikelets solitary, ovate, obtiise, sessile. Bruct 1-leaved, 

 continuous with the culm. 



13. PLATYLEPIS, Klli. 



Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes (composed of 2 united 

 by their inner margin) imbricated on all sides, slightly convex, 

 roundish, narrow- pointed at the apex, spongioso-coriaceous, 

 internally bivalve, externally subtended by a much smaller 



