74 Cyperacece. \Stirpm.. 



much branched, leafy throughout, often curved, rooting at the 

 internodes and base; 1. alternate, 1-2 in. long, very narrowly 

 linear, ^ in. broad or less, acuminate, straight or curved, 

 1 -veined, green, sheaths short, open; peduncles axillary and 

 terminal, filiform, rather longer than the 1., compressed, striate ; 

 spikelet solitary, terminal, \—\ in. long, ovoid, green or brown, 

 4-8-fld. ; glumes T V in. long, broadly oblong or ovate-oblong, 

 obtuse, tip rounded, membranous, 1 -veined, sides hyaline, 

 lowest longest and narrowest; hypogynous bristles o; stam. 3, 

 anth. small, linear, obtuse; nut ■£$ in. long, obovoid or sub- 

 obcordate, biconvex, shortly beaked, pale, style as long as 

 the nut, capillary, glabrous, stigmas 2, capillary. 



In shallow water ; common, especially in the hills. Fl. Feb., May. 

 Nearly cosmopolitan ; occurs in England commonly. 



2. S. squarrosus, L. Mant. ii. 181 (1771). 



Moon, Cat. 6. Isolepis squarrosa, R. et S. ; Thw. Enum. 350.* 

 C. P. 854. 



Fl. B. Ind. vi. 663. Rottb. Descr. et Ic. t. 17, f. 5. 



A slender, tufted, glabrous annual, root-fibres capillary; 

 stems 3-6 in., filiform, terete, striate; 1. as long or shorter than 

 the stem, capillary, acuminate, erect, margins involute, smooth, 

 sheath short, open ; spikelets solitary or 2-4 in a cluster, 

 sessile, ^-J in. long, from globose to oblong, obtuse, green, 

 very many-fid., rhachilla naked ; bracts 1-3, capillary, one or 

 two sometimes 1 in. long ; glumes 2V m - l° n g» most densely 

 imbricate, squarrosely spreading and recurved, trapeziform, 

 sides acutely angled, top narrowed into a recurved cusp as 

 long as or longer than the blade, stoutly 1 -veined ; hypo- 

 gynous bristles o; stam. 1 or 2, anth. very minute, oblong, 

 apiculate, pale yellow; nut -V in. long, obovoid-oblong, 

 trigonous, black, style very short or o, stigmas 3, minute, 

 recurved. 



Damp, sandy pastures in the dry country; rather common. Jaffna; 

 Chilaw; Nilgala. Rare in the moist districts, Colombo. Fl. Jan., May. 

 Also in India, China, Java, and Trop. Africa. 



3. S. supinus, L. Sft. PL 49 (1753). 



Moon, Cat. 6. Isolepis supina, Br.; Thw. Enum. 350. C. P. 3233. 

 Fl. B. Ind. vi. 655. Reichb. Ic. Fl. Germ. t. 302. 



A densely tufted, glabrous annual, with capillary and 

 thickened root-fibres; stems 6-18 in., slender, obtusely tri- 

 gonous, striate, flowering above the middle; 1. o, sheaths short, 

 or long, mouth oblique, rarely produced into a very short, 

 erect, acute limb; spikelets ^-8 in a cluster, 2-6 in. below the 

 top of the stem, ^-^ in. long, ovoid or ovoid-oblong, terete, 

 green, all sessile or i-or 2 on a very short peduncle (rarely 



