396 cyperacEjE. [Fuirena. 



narrowed at the base, but nearly sessile. Nut mucronate with the slightly 

 thickened persistent base of the style. — F. pentagona, W. and Am. ; Kunth, 

 Enurn. ii. 185. 



Hongkong, Hance, Wright, Wilford. Widely diffused over the tropical regions of the 

 New and the Old World. 



2. F. glomerata, Lam.; Kunth, Fnum. ii.lS4<. A much smaller plant 

 than the last, and apparently annual, seldom 1 ft. high. Leaves more or less 

 pubescent, or at least ciliate on the edges. Spikelets rather longer than in 

 F. umbellata, with longer and finer points to the glumes, either in a single 

 terminal head with a leafy bract at the base, or more frequently with the addi- 

 tion of 1 or 2 almost sessile clusters in the axils of the upper leaves. Hypo- 

 gynous scales distinctly stipitate, broadly cordate at the base. — F. Rott- 

 bcellii, Nees in Wight, Contrib. Bot. Ind. 94. 



Hongkong, Wright, Wilford. Widely distributed over tropical Africa, Asia, and Australia. 



10. BHYNCHOSPORA, Br. 



Spikelets 1- or 2- (rarely 3-) flowered, oblong, more or less pointed. 

 Glumes imbricate all round, several outer ones shorter and empty. Hypogy- 

 nous bristles 6 or sometimes more. Stamens 3 or fewer. Style 2 -cleft. 

 Nut globular or rarely flattened, crowned by the persistent continuous base 

 of the style. — Stems usually leafy. Spikelets usually, clustered and of a rich 

 brown, in terminal or axillary heads or corymbs, sometimes forming large 

 terminal leafy panicles. 



A considerable genus, nearly as widely distributed as Scirpus over the surface of the globe. 



Spikelets in a single dense terminal head 1. 22. Wallichicma. 



Spikelets clustered in a branching panicle. 



Spikelets full 4 lines long, in dense clusters. Beak of the nut long 



and thick, deeply furrowed on each side 2. 22. aurea. 



Spikelets about 3 lines long, in loose clusters. Beak not longer nor 



thicker than the nut and not furrowed 3. 22. laxa. 



1. R. Wallichiana, Kunth, Enum. ii. 289. A densely tufted peren- 

 nial, the stems slender, 3-angled at the top, \ to \\ ft. high. Leaves much 

 shorter, narrow, stiff and pointed. Spikelets 3 to 4 lines long, acute, densely 

 crowded in a terminal head, surrounded by several leafy bracts, dilated and 

 ciliate at the base, the longest much longer than the head. Glumes of a rich 

 brown, the 3 lowest short and empty, the fourth longer, with a hermaphrodite 

 flower, the next still longer, with a male flower, and enclosing a terminal linear 

 empty glume. Hypogynous bristles minute. Style long, 2-cleft at the top. 

 Nut laterally flattened, crowned by the bulbous base of the style. — R. Hcenkei, 

 Presl ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 290. Sphceroschcenus Wallichii, Nees, PI. Meyen. 97. 



Hongkong, Champion, Harland, Wright. In various parts of India and the Archipelago. 



2. R. aurea, Valil; Kunth, Fn?im. ii. %9 3 . A coarse glabrous perennial, 

 2 to 3 ft. high or even more. Leaves long, pointed, very scabrous on the 

 edges. Spikelets very pointed, full 4 lines long, in clusters arranged in com- 

 pound corymbs, forming an irregular terminal panicle, with smaller corymbs in 

 the axils of the upper leaves. Glumes of a rich brown, the lower ones short, 

 pointed, and empty, one much larger with a hermaphrodite flower, and 1, 2 



