Cypenes.] Cyperacece. 19 



4. C. stramineus, Nees in Wight, Contrib. 74 (1834). 

 Thw. Enum. 432. C. P. 3776. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 589 {Pycreus). 



Annual, stems densely tufted, 6-12 in. high, very slender, 

 base thickened ; 1. suberect, as long as the stem or shorter, 

 very narrow, ^ in. broad, acuminate, 1 -veined, sheath short; 

 infl. a loose head of 5-20 suberect, sessile or subspicate 

 spikelets; bracts 2-3, filiform, erect or spreading, longest 

 2-3 in.; spikelets linear, pale, \-% by T V in., 15-70 fid., 

 rhachilla stout, tetragonous, angles membranous, hardly 

 winged, at length deeply pitted with square lacunae; glumes 

 closely imbricate, broadly triangular-ovate, obtuse or cuspi- 

 date, turgid, dorsally rounded and 3-5-veined, hardly keeled, 

 sides veinless; anth. narrowly linear, muticous ; nut \ as long 

 as the glume, suborbicular, laterally somewhat compressed, 

 turgidly biconvex, dark brown, granular, surface cells oblong, 

 style much longer than the nut, stigmas 2, capillary. 



Low country ; very rare. Kurunegala. Fl. Sept. 



Also in India and Burma. 



Roots described as being aromatic. 



5. C. pumilus, L. Sp. PL ed. 2 (1762). G-o-hiri, 6". 



Moon, Cat. 6. C. pulvinatus, Nees et Mey.; Thw. Enum. 342. C. P. 

 806. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 591 {Pycreus nitens). Pluk. Phyt. t. 191, f. 8. Gaertn. 

 Fruct. t. 2, f. 2. 



Annual, dwarf; stems densely tufted, 1-6 in. capillary; 

 1. longer and shorter than the stem, very slender -^ in. broad, 

 1 -veined, flaccid, sheath short ; head of spikelets globose, 

 \-\ in. diam., entire or lobed, sometimes broken up into 

 peduncled spikes or clusters of spikelets or into rays of an 

 umbel ; bracts 3-4, leaf-like, up to 4 in. long, base not dilated ; 

 spikelets linear or linear-oblong, \-\ by \ in., 20-50-fld., pale 

 or dusky straw-col'd., rhachilla stout, tetragonous, not winged ; 

 glumes rather loosely imbricate, broadly ovate, cymbiform, 

 spreading, strongly cuspidate below the bifid tip, dorsally 

 rounded and 3-veined, green, sides hyaline, veinless ; stam. 1, 

 rarely 2, anth. small ; nut small, not half the length of the 

 glume, substipitate, broadly obovoid, laterally compressed, 

 biconvex, apiculate, granulate, dark brown, style much longer 

 than the nut, stigmas 2, capillary. 



Low country in wet sandy places ; common. Fl. Dec, &c. 

 India, and all hot countries of the Old World. 



6. C. hyalinus, Vahl, Enum. ii. 329 (il^ 



C. pumiluS) Nees ; Thw. Enum. 432. Trim. Syst. Cat. 99. C. P. 



3787. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 591 {Pycreus fiu?nilus) (not given for Ceylon). 



