&4 Cyperacece. \Rhynchospora. 



Stem 2-3 ft, stout, trigonous, leafy throughout, angles 

 nearly smooth, root-fibres stout ; 1. 1-2 ft. by \-\ in., contracted 

 at the sheath, then narrowed up to the acute suberulous tip, 

 flat, margins and slender keel scabrid, sheaths of upper 

 closed, with an annular brown membrane at the mouth, of 

 lower open, continuous with the blade ; spikelets very many, 

 clustered or spicate at the ends of the branches of large, 

 corymbiform, decompound, terminal, and axillary umbels 

 3-5 in. broad ; bracts foliaceous, up to 6 in. long, bracteoles 

 at the bases of the rays subulate, those at the bases of 

 the clusters. acicular ; spikelets about \ in., narrowly ovoid, 

 acuminate ; glumes 6-7, 3-4 lower empty, ovate, lowest 

 mucronate or awned, the following one longer, ovate, cymbi- 

 form, mucronate, bisexual, upper male or empty; hypogynous 

 bristles 6 or fewer, very slender, scaberulous; stam. 3, anth. 

 linear, obtuse; nut \ in., dull brown, obovoid, truncate, com- 

 pressed, sides rounded, faces slightly transversely undulate, 

 beak cortical, longer than the nut and as broad at the base, 

 broadly channelled down the centre, style short, slender, 

 stigmas 2, very short. 



Moist low country in paddy fields and wet places ; common. Fl. Nov., 

 Feb., &c. 



Throughout the Tropics. 



3. R. triflora, Vahl, Enum. ii. 232 (1806). 



Cephaloschoenus zeylanicus, Nees in Wight, Contrib. 115. R. zeylanica, 

 Kunth, Enum. ii. 294; Thw. Enum. 352. C. P. 3036. 

 ■* Fl. B. Ind. vi. 670. 



Rootstock short, woody, with very stout root-fibres, often 

 stoloniferous ; stem 3-4 ft., leafy throughout, robust below, 

 slender upwards, trigonous, striate, angles smooth; 1. 12-18 

 by \ in. or less, narrowly linear, not contracted at the ligule, 

 narrowed up to the obtuse tip, coriaceous, margins and keel 

 scabrid, or margins thickened and quite smooth ; sheaths of 

 lower open, of upper closed, with a very short membrane at 

 the sinus ; spikelets small, usually ternate, in lax, terminal, 

 and axillary, open, compound corymbs, rays few, very slender, 

 up to 3 in. long; bracts slender, much shorter than the corymbs, 

 bracteoles acicular, sheathing at the base; spikelets \ in. 

 long, very narrowly ovoid, acuminate, brown, rather shining; 

 glumes about 6, lowest ovate, awned, second and third broadly 

 oblong, rounded at the tip and awned, fig. longer, oblong- 

 ovate, cymbiform, acute, cuspidate; hypogynous bristles 6 or 

 fewer, very slender, unequal, scaberulous ; stam. 3, anth. very 

 long, slender, acuminate ; nut with its beak \ in. long, narrowly 

 obovoid, compressed, red-brown, shining, sides rounded, faces 



