Cyperus.] Cyperacece. 3 1 



elliptic scales ; stem 1-3 ft, slender, trigonous below, trique- 

 trous above, angles smooth ; 1. shorter than the stem, linear, 

 hardly \ in. broad, keeled, margins smooth or scaberulous; 

 umbel subsimple or compound, 8-12 in. diam., rays 6-10, 

 triquetrous, bearing spikes \—i in. long of very slender 

 horizontally spreading spikelets on a filiform rhachis ; bracts 

 3-6, much longer than the leaves, longest up to 16 in., and up to 

 \ in. broad, keel and margins scaberulous; spikelets J by ^5- in., 

 very narrowly linear, 10-20-fld., red-brown; wings of slender 

 wavy rhachilla oblong, internodes \ as long as the glumes; 

 glumes distant, suberect, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, dorsally 7-9- 

 veined, margins broad or narrow, pale, keel prominent; nut 

 from h to nearly as long as the glume, narrowly oblong or 

 ellipsoid, trigonous, dusky black, style about as long as the 

 nut, stigmas 3, capillary. 



Margins of ponds, Szc, in low country ; very common. Fl. Dec, &c 

 All hot countries, extending to S. Europe. 



27. C. nutans, Vahl, Eninn. ii. 36.3 (1806). 



C. distans, var. major, Thw. Enum. 432. C. P. 3844, and 3966, in 

 parts. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 607. 



Perennial ; rootstock tuberous, thicker than the thumb in 

 old plants, creeping, root-fibres densely matted ; stem 2-3J ft., 

 stout, trigonous, angles smooth ; 1. as long as the stem, linear, 

 \-\ broad, coriaceous in old plants, 1 -veined, keel and 

 margins smooth; umbel very large, decompound, primary rays- 

 up to 10 in., slender, trigonous, bearing short bracteate um- 

 bellules of very slender secondaries 1-2 in. long, each secondary 

 terminated by many, erect, unequal simple or panicled loose 

 spikes 1- 1 Jin. long, of small very slender spikelets, spikes form- 

 ing tassel-like clusters, rhachis capillary; bracts 4-8, longest 

 up to 1 ft. by § in. broad, margins and keel smooth, spikelets 

 erect, \-\ by -^ in. broad, very slender, 6-10-fld., pale red- 

 brown, rhachilla capillar}', internodes J as long as the glumes 

 or longer, wings broadly lanceolate, caducous; glumes distant, 

 erect, ovate-oblong, tip rounded, sometimes apiculate, dorsally 

 rounded, obscurely veined, sides involute, margins and tip very 

 narrowly hyaline ; stam. 3, anth. linear-oblong, obscurely 

 crested ; nut f as long as the glume, linear-oblong, trigonous, 

 narrowed at both ends, beaked, dark brown or grey-black, 

 style ^ shorter than the nut, stigmas 3, short, capillary. 



Tanks and other wet places in the dry country ; rather common. 

 Fl. Dec, &c. 



Also in Peninsular India. 



Difficult to distinguish some forms of this from C. dista?is, though 



