Fimbrishjlis. CYPERACE.E. 223 



6. FIMBRISTYLIS, Vahl. 

 Flowers perfect, usually numerous, the scales closely imbricated around the rhachis 

 of the spikes, which are solitary or in clusters usually in a simple or compound in- 

 volucrate umbel upon a stem leafy at base. Perianth none. Stamens 1 to 3. 

 Styles 2 - 3-cle('t, often flattened and ciliate, somewhat dilated at base, at length 

 ■wholly deciduous from the nutlet, or the base rarely persistent. Nutlet lenticular 

 or triangular, usually attenuate at base or sub3ti])itatc. 



A jrenus of 150 species or more, ehieny of tropical or subtropical regions, barely a lialf-dozen 

 occiUTing witliin tlie limits of the United States. 



* Spihrs umbellate, soUtanj. 



•»- Style 2-cleft, Jlattened and ciliate : nutlet lenticidar : tidjercle soon deciduous. 



1. F. thermalis, Watson. Stems from short matted rootstocks, afoot or two 

 high, flattened and more or less scabrous, striate : leaves 1 or 2 lines broad, flat be- 

 coming channelled or revolute, nujre or less pubescent, very rough on the margin : 

 involucres and involucels of several linear-subulate acuminate .scabrous bracts shorter 

 than the rays (^ to 1 inch long) : spikes 2 to 8 (rarely only the central sessile one), 

 ovate to linear oblong, 3 to 10 lines long; scales dull brown, pubescent, ovate, ob- 

 tuse, mucronate : stamens 2 or 3 : nutlet obovate, obscurely striate, g of a line 

 long. — Jjot. King Exp. 3G0. 



Margins of hot springs near Kernville (Ilolhrocl; n. 303) and San Bernardino (IF. G. Wright), 

 and in Ihiby Valley, Nevada {JFatson) ; first collected by Brewer (n. 2832), at warm springs in 

 Owen's Valley. 



I'lesl (Rel. Hiunk. i. 192) describes another species of this group under the name of F. verru- 

 cnsfi), the typical form of whicli is doubtless F. rfipliifUn, Vnhl {F. laxn). His variety /9, said 

 to have l)een collected at Monterey and also credited to Me.vico, with nutlet longitudinally cos- 

 tate, transversely striate, and tuberculate toward the top, is more uncertain and probably not 

 from California. 



•I- -K- Sti/le 3-cleft, filiform and not ciliate: nutlet acutely triangular. 



++ Tubercle soon deciduous: nutlet yramdar-tuberculate. 



2. F. miliacea, Vahl. Apparently annual : stems tufted, 4-angled, | to 2 feet 

 higli, very leafy at base : leaves with broad open sheaths, linoar, very narrowly 

 attenuate upward : umbel diffusely compound, the involucres and involucels of sev- 

 eral filiform bracts broad at base : spikelcts subglobose, about a line long ; scales 

 luimerous, closely imbricated, pale brown, broadly ovate, obtuse : stamen 1 : nutlet 

 very small, obovoid, wiiitish, Sribbcd and muricate-tuberculate. 



A species of tro[)ical Asia and Australia, collected near San Francisco (J. Jl'ood), but doubtless 

 introduced. 



GnssoNiA CVPEROIDES, Presl, 1. c. 183, t. 33, described as from Monterey, California, is re- 

 ferred to Abibhjiiardia by both Nees and Kunth, and with evident correctness, nor does the 

 species seem to dill'er nt all from a few-llowereil form o{ A. fuscn, Nees. Mr. Henthnin in the 

 Flora Australiensis includes Ahildifaixrdia as a section under FimhristrjUx, distinguished by its 

 flattened distichous spikelets ; otherwise' its characters correspond nearly witii tliose of the piesent 

 group. Inasmuch as the localities of Haenke's collections aie known to have been much confused 

 and not to be relied upon as given by Fresl, it is jirobable that his specimens of this species were 

 not collected in California. Should it be found, however, it may be known by its lanceolate 

 2-ranked s|)ikelets, with carinate .scales decurrent upon the short joints of the rhachis in the 

 manner of Cijpcrus § Marixus; stamens 3 ; nutlet densely tuberculate. 



++ -H- Tubercle more or less i)crsistent : mdlet faintly wrinkled transversely. 



3. F. capillaris. Gray. Annual, tufted, the bristle like stems 2 to 10 inches 

 high, much e.xceeding the filiform leaves : umbel simple or C()n!i)ound, rarely re- 

 duced to a single apparently lateral spikelet : involucral bracts short, setaceous : 

 spikelets oblong-ovate, few-flowered, I to 3 lines long ; scales dark brown with 

 green midvein, ovate, acutish : stamens 2 : nutlet broadly obovate and rather acutely 



