76 FLORA OF TASMANIA. | Restiacee. 
2. Aphelia Pumilio (Mueller, in Herb. Hook.); spica suberecta, squamis 2 inferioribus aristatis 
caeteris brevius aristatis margine fimbriatis dense ciliatis. 
Has. Cheshunt, Archer. 
DIsTRIB. Victoria. 
A much shorter species than C. Gunnii, scarcely an inch high, with a larger, broader, erect spik, and fimbri- 
ated margins to the scales. 
Gen. VII. CENTROLEPIS, Za?. 
Capitulum solitarium, terminale, bracteis spathisve 2 inclusum. ores pauci v. numerosi, hermaphro- 
diti, biglumes, receptaculo communi nudo v. paleaceo (paleis sguamas spicule referentibus?) conferti. 
Stamen 1; anthera simplici. Ovaria plurima (3-12), axi communi seriatim imbricata, monosperma; styli 
totidem, simplices, distincti v. basi connati. Uirieuli extus longitudinaliter dehiscentes.— Herb:e cespitose, 
pusille ; radicibus fibrosis; foliis omnibus radicalibus, setaceis ; scapis filiformibus, nudis, indivisis ; spathis 
alternis, approximatis, aristatis muticisve. 
Small, annual, tufted herbs, with setaceous radical leaves, naked scapes, and terminal capitula of minute 
flowers, enclosed in two bracts or a two-valved spathe. About twelve species are known, chiefly natives of South- 
western Australia.—J//owers hermaphrodite, of two membranous glumes, enclosing a single stamen and a compound 
pistil, all hidden by the two-valved spathes. „Pistil formed of many connate, membranous utricles, often imbri- 
cating, and forming a moniliform mass, their single capillary styles free, or united at their bases. — Ufricules each 
bursting outwardly.—In some species scales or paleze are found intermixed with the flowers: these suggest the idea 
of the capitulum being a reduced, contracted spike, of which the paleme are the scales. (Name from Kevrpov, a 
spur, and Aeris, a scale; in allusion to a mistaken view of the inflorescence; but, as the name seems sufficiently 
significant, if regarded as applied to a genus most of whose species have awned spathes, I have followed Kunth, 
Endlicher, and others, in retaining this name.) 
l. Centrolepis aristata (Rum. et Schult. Syst. i. 44) ; scapo ancipiti, spathis glaberrimis longe 
foliaceo-aristatis, receptaculo epaleaceo, floribus 10-16, glumis 2 lanceolatis, interiore majore abrupte 
eroso, exteriore apice lacero, ovariis 4-7, stylis basi connatis.—Kunth, En. Plant. 490. Desvauxia aris- 
tata, Br. Prodr. 253; Nees, in Plant. Preiss. i. 71. (Gunn, 1438.) (Tas. CXXXVIIL D.) 
Has. Abundant in wet sandy soil near Georgetown and Launceston, Gunn.—(Fl. Oct.) 
Disrris. Swan River and Victoria. 
Plants rather rigid, 2-3 inches high, perfectly glabrous everywhere. Scape flattened and two-edged. Spathes 
with long, ensiform, herbaceous, flattened awns, the inner longest, obscurely jointed on the broad, coriaceous lamina. 
Outer glume (which Nees suggests may be a palea, and I regard as a scale of the reduced spike) lanceolate, acumi. 
nate, torn or toothed at the apex; inner twice as long, opposite the outer, abrupt and erose. Stamen opposite the 
inner glume. Ovaries four to seven.—PrATE CXXXVIII. D. Fig. 1, spikelet; 2, flower, removed from ditto ; 
5, stamen; 6, utriculus; 7, seed :—all magnified. 
2. Centrolepis tenuior (Rem. et Schult. Syst. i. 43) ; Íoliis capillaribus brevibus hispidis, scapis 
strictis filiformibus pubescentibus, spathis late cymbeeformibus acuminatis hispidis, receptaculo epaleaceo, 
glumis 2 fimbriato-laceris ciliatis, ovariis 4-10, stylis basi connatis.—Kunth, En. iii. 489. Desvauxia 
tenuior, Br. Prodr. 252. (Gunn, 958.) 
Has. Abundant in wet sandy soil near Georgetown, and at Epping Forest, Gunn, Archer.— (Fl. Nov., 
Dec.) 
Disrris. Victoria, Mueller. 
