CLXXII. CYPERACE.E. (C. B. Clarke.) 625 



6. COURTOXSIA, Nees. 



Glumes persistent, 2 lowest empty, 1-3 succeeding (in the Indian species) 

 bisexual nut-bearing winged on keel ; rhacheola disarticulating above the 

 two lowest empty glumes. Otherwise as Mariscus. Species 2 or 3, in 

 Africa, Madagascar, India. 



C. cyperoides, Nees in Linneea, ix. [1834] 286, and in Wight Gon- 

 trib. 92 ; umbel compound, spikes globose very dense yellow-brown, spike- 

 lets compressed very flat broad- elliptic containing 1-2 nuts, style 3-fid, 

 nut narrow-oblong f length of glume. Am. in Edinb. N. Phil. Jonrn. xvii. 

 *262 ; Kunth JEnuin. ii. 127 ; Boeck. in Flora, xliv. 335, and in Linncea, 

 xxxv. 434; Benth. in Hook. Ic. PL t. 1341. Kyllinga cyperoides, Roxb. Fl. 

 Ind. i. 182. Mariscus cyperoides, Dietr. Sp. PL ii. 348. Oyperus Kleini- . 

 anus, Hochst. in Herb. Hohenack., n. 645. C. glomeratus, Klein ms. 

 Wall. Gat. 3537. 



From SIKKIM and ASSAM to MADRAS and PEGU, alt. 0-6000 ft., frequent. 

 DISTEIB. Madagascar. 



Glabrous, annual. Stems 3-16 in., caespitose. Leaves often as long as stem, 

 i in. broad, nearly smooth. Umbel rays 3-10, up to 1-4 in. long ; bracts 3-7, up to 

 4-12 in. long ; raylets of umbellules 3-5, up to 1 in. ; bracteoles of umbellules often 

 1 in. Splices 5 in. in diam. Spikelets in. Glumes boat-shaped, flattened; 

 keel with a continuous glistening entire wing its whole length ; sides not striate. 

 Stamens 3 ; anthers oblong. Nut trigonous, acutely-pyramidal at top, almost 

 beaked, chestnut black, smooth, outermost cells small, subquadrate. Style short, 

 persistent ; branches linear, much longer than style, exsert. 



7. ELEOCHARIS, R. Br. 



Glabrous. Stems simple, erect, without nodes. Leaves 0, sheaths few 

 cylindric truncate or with a small unilateral subapical tooth, barren leaf- 

 like stems often present. Inflorescence a single (rarely more) terminal 

 spikelet. Glumes imbricate on all sides, obtuse ; lowest " bract," (but not 

 always empty), not longer than the spikelet. Lowest flower nut-bearing, 

 perfect ; many succeeding glumes usually nut-bearing, upper tabescent. 

 Hypogynous bristles 8-5, rarely fewer (in E. atropurpurea,, often small 

 or 0). Stamens 3-1, anterior; anthers linear-oblong, not crested. Style 

 linear, as long as the nut, branches 3 or 2, linear; style-base dilated, 

 constricted or apparently articulated on the nut, but usually persistent. 

 Nut obovoid, plano-convex (when style bifid) or trigonous (when style 

 trifid). Species 113, cosmopolitan. 



Sect. I. LIMNOCHLOA, Nees in Wight Gontrib. 114 (not of Lestib.) ; 

 stems stout or medium ; spikelets elongate, many-fld. ; glumes subrigid, 

 plano-concave, not (or scarcely) keeled, of one colour nearly. All stoloni- 

 ferous. 



* Nut smooth (i.e. outer cells small, quadrate-hexagonal, inconspicuous). 

 Style 2-3-fid. 



1. E. plantagrinea, Br. Prod. 224 (in note) ; stems robust terete 

 transversely septate when dry, spikelet fuscous straw-colrd. hardly wider 

 than stem, style 2-3-fid. Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. iii. 302 ; Thwaites Enum. 

 352. IJ. tumida, Roem. # ^ &n - 8yst. Mant. ii. 86. Scirpus plantagi- 

 noides, Rottb. Descr. et Ic. 45, t. 15, fig. 2. S. plantagineus, Retz. Obs.^r 

 14; Roxb. Fl. Ind. i. 212 ? S. dubius, Roxb. L c. 215 (specimen imper- 



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