■ Cyperus.] Cyperacece. 29 



Very rare. I have only the C. P. specimens from Kurunegala, col- 

 lected in 1853 by Thwaites. Var. pubisquama, intermediate region, 

 Kurunegala, Monankande, W. Matale. 



In all warm countries. Var. /3, Assam, Burma, Malaya, &c. 



The thin, broad, flaccid leaves are a conspicuous character. Both 

 Mr. Clarke (Fl. B. Ind.) and Dr. Trimen suggest C. pubisquama being a 

 variety of diffusus. I can find no pubescence on the glumes of Ceylon 

 specimens. 



23. C. articulatus, Linn. Sp. PL 66 (1753). 

 Thw. Enum. 343. C. P. 3561. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 611. 



Perennial ; rootstock stout, woody, stoloniferous, stolons 

 stout, 5— £ in. diam., clothed with ovate-lanceolate striate dark 

 brown scales § in long; stem terete 3-6 ft., often f in. diam. 

 at the base, and g— g- in. diam. and obscurely trigonous at the 

 top, pseudo-septate when dry ; 1. o or sheaths elongate, loose, 

 with a short sometimes foliaceous limb ; umbel compound, 

 narrow, rays up to 10, erect, 2-6 in. long, very slender and 

 secondaries terminating in corymbs of very many long slender 

 spikelets, pale reddish-brown ; bracts 1-3, very short, ovate or 

 lanceolate, acute, bracteoles o, or 3 ovate, acute, or setaceous ; 

 spikelets 5-15, linear, ij-ii by ^rrs m -> 12-50-fld., rhachilla 

 slender, with hyaline at length deciduous wings ; glumes 

 suberect, loosely imbricate, oblong, obtuse, concave, dorsally 

 rounded, 3-5-veined, not keeled, sides broadly membranous, 

 stam. 3, anth. linear; nut half as long as the glume, oblong, 

 trigonous, acute at both ends, dark brown, smooth, style 

 very short, stigmas 3, very long, capillary. 



In water in the low country ; very common. Fl. March. 

 Throughout the Tropics. 



24. C. corymbosus, Rotlb. Descr. et Ic. 42 (1773). Cral-6hi, S. 



Thw. Enum. 344. C. P. 809. 



Fl. Ind. vi. 612. Rottb. 1. c. t. 7, f. 4 (infl. only). 



Perennial ; rootstock stout, creeping, root-fibres stout ; 

 stem 2-3 ft., as thick as a goose-quill, spongy, appearing 

 pseudo-septate when dry, terete below, subtrigonous above; 

 1. O, or a short blade, rarely 6 in. long, terminating a long 

 loose membranous sheath; umbel compound, narrow, rays 

 •6-8, erect or suberect, very unequal, longest 4 in., bearing 

 secondary rays terminated by spikes or corymbs of 4-8 very 

 slender spikelets; bracts 3, very short, rarely as long as the 

 umbel, keeled, green, margins recurved when dry, bracteoles 

 setaceous; spikelets very variable in length, \— I in., linear, very 

 slender, -— ^ n - diam., subterete, pale red, rhachilla narrowly 

 winged; glumes erect, rather distant but appressed, oblong, 

 -obtuse, rather membranous, dorsally rounded and 3-veined, 



