624 CLXXII. CYPERACE.S. (C. B. Clarke.) \_Mariscus. 



Veget. Andamans, 54 ; Boeck. in Linnaa, xxxvi. 340. Cyperus, Wall. Cat. 

 3359 (mainly}. Rheede Hort. Mai. xii. 103, t. 55. 



From BENGAL to CEYLON "and SINGAPOEE. DISTEIB. Trop. Afric., Malaya, 

 Austral., Polynes. mostly near the sea. 



Stems 1-3 feet. Leaves often nearly as long as stem, ^ in. broad. Rays of 

 umbel often 4 in. Spikes cylindric or ovoid, cinnamomeous-red or brown or straw- 

 colour. 



Sect. 4. Flabelliformes. Spikelets subulate, bearing 4-14 nuts. 



12. HE. microcephalus, Presl. Eel. Haenk. i. 182 ; large, leaves 

 and bracts spongy, umbel compound or decompound, spikes stellately 

 globose brown, spikelets straight, glumes obtuse rather remote, nut nar- 

 rowly obovoid top conic almost beaked. M. dilutus, Nees in Wight Gon- 

 trib. 90. M. giganteus, Boeck. in Flora, xlii. 443. Cyperus compactus, 

 Retz Obs. v. 10, fide JZunth. C. dilutus, Vahl Enum. ii. 357 ; Kuntli Enum. 

 ii. 92 ; Thw. Enum. 344; Boeck. in Linncea, xxxvi. 354; \Kurz Rep. Anda- 

 mans, 54, and in Journ. As. Soc. xlv. (part 2) 158 ; C. B. Clarke in Journ. 

 Linn. Soc. xxi. 1,93. C. spinulosus, lioxb. Fl. 2nd. i. 203. Mariscus, Wall. 

 Cat. 3430, 3439. 



Throughout INDIA, pit. C-3000 ft. ; from MUSSOOEEE and ASSAM to CEYLON 

 and PENAN G. DISTEIB. Mauritius, China, Malaya. 



Glabrous. Rhizome short. Stems 1-3 ft. Leaves nearly as long as stem^ in. 

 broad. Umbel often 8-12 in. in diam. ; spikes of 2040 spikelets. Spikelets some- 

 times f by ^5- in., bearing 14 nuts, ofien much shorter bearing 4-8 nuts. Nut- 

 bearing glumes boat-shaped with 9 faint nerves. Wings of rhachilla oblong, hyaline 

 persistent. 



Subg. III. TORULINITJM (G-en. Desv.). Spikelets bearing several 

 nuts ; rhacheola finally breaking up into joints each containing 1 nut. 



13. ^VS. ferax, C. B. Clarke ; large or middle-sized, umbel usually 

 large compound, spikelets numerous spicate linear bearing 4-16 small 

 oblong black nuts, which, fall off in the joints of rhacheola held by the 

 persistent wing$. Cyperus ferax, L. C. Rich, in Act. Soc. Hist. Nat. 

 Paris, i. 106 ; Kunth Enum. ii. 89; BoecJc .in Linncea, xxxvi. 399 ; G. B. 

 Clarke in Journ'. Linn. Soc. xx'. 295 (excl. syn. C. lutens], and xxi. 191. C. 

 odoratus, Forsl, Prod. Ins. Austral. 6 ; Boeck. in Linncea, xxxvi. 407 (not 

 of Linn.}. C. ferox, Valil Enum. ii. 357. C. pennatus, Serb. Mus. Paris; 

 Boeck. I. c. 404 (not of Lam.}. Diclidium ferox, Schrad. in Mart. Fl. Bras. 

 ii., pars 1, 54. 



BENGAL; Furidpore, C. B. Clarke. PEGU, Kurz, n. 2686. MEEGUI, Griffith 

 (Kew Distfib. nn. 6143, 6198). DISTEIB. All warm regions. 



Glabrous., Stolons ; rhizome hardly any. Stems often 12-20 in., leaves nearly 

 as long, i in. broad ; but small examples occur. Umbel very variable, from - 

 24 in. in diam. ; bracteoles (bracts to the secondary umbels) usually conspicuou 

 leaf-like, but sometimes (as in type of L. C. Richard) very small. A :ds of spikes 

 % in. carrying about 20 spikelets which ultimately spread at right angles. Spikelets 

 commonly -^ by y 1 ^ in., bearing 6-10 rfuts, yellow or brown. Glumes quadrate- 

 elliptic, hardly keeled, about 7-nerved ; rhachilla (especially in fruit) usually flexuose ; 

 wings short, elliptic, ultimately becoming firmer, yellowish-brown, enfolding the 

 nut. Nut oblong or ellipsoid, overtopping the wings ; style hardly lengfh of nut, 

 slender ; branches linear. This abundant American species has, after several doubt- 

 fully-distinct forms have been split off as species, been described under 53 names. 



