232 THE TASMANIAN PLOEA. 



lines long. Flowers about 4, with a single scale, sometimes absent. Carpels 

 yarying from 4-10. Alepyrum muscoides, Hook. 



Marsby sub-alpine ground, near Marlborough, Mount Field Range, Great 

 Lake. 



4. C. MONOGYNA, Benth. Plant densely tufted, forming cushion-like masses, 

 often several inches broad. Leaves ^-\ inch long, slender, with a sheathing base. 

 Flowering stem usually shorter than the leaves, but sometimes much exceeding 

 them. Bracts glabrous, very narrow, erect, and close together, but inserted about 

 \ line from one another, about 2 lines long. Flowers 1 in each bract, with 



1 scale. Pistil composed of a single carpel. Alepyrum monogynum, Hook. 

 Lake St. Clair, Marlborough, Mount Dundas, between Zeehan and Little 



Henty River. On many mountains 2000 to .3000 feet. 



5. p. PDLVINATA, Desv. Very small and densely tufted. Leaves slender, 

 filiform, \-% inch long. Flowering stem about as long as the leaves. Bracts 

 glabrous or slightly hairy, narrow-ovate, about 1 line long, inserted a little 

 distance from one another, spreading. Flowers 2 or 3 in each bract. Scales 



2 or .3 to each flower. Carpels .3-6. 



Kent Group, Bass Straits. 



6. C. ABiSTATA, Raem. et Schult. A very variable plant, more robust and less 

 tufted than the other forms. Leaves f-lj inch long, slender, from filiform to 

 ^ line broad. Flowering stem about as long as and similar in breadth to the 

 leaves. Bracts close together, glabrous, erect, in the typical form broad at the base, 

 but prolonged upwards in a flat leaf-like awn, that of the outer bract generally 

 about f inch long, sometimes nearly 2 inches long, inner one shorter. Flowers 

 generally about 10-15 in each bract, sometimes i-eduoed to 2 or 3. Scales usually 

 2, sometimes .3, to each flower. Carpels vaiying from 3-7. 



Common, chiefly in sandy pastures ; also in Victoria, South Australia, . 

 West Australia, and New South Wales. 



A small form, with flne leaves and very narrow bracts with subulate 

 points, and bearing only 2 or 3 flowers, has been referred to as a variety 

 (var. pygnusa, F. v. M.). On Knocklofty, Hobart, this form grows 

 with the robust plant, together with every intermediate gradation. 



7. C. FASCJCaLARls, Lab. A densely-tufted plant. Leaves filiform, glabrous, 

 except few I'ather long hairs on the lower portion, ^-1-^ inch long. Flower-stem 

 similar in character to the leaves, about 1-2 inches long. Bracts ovate, erect, 

 covered with rather coarse hairs, about 1|- line long, extended above into a 

 slender awn as long as itself. Flowers 4-8 to each bract, usually 1 rather large 

 scale only to each flower, but sometimes also a smaller one. Carpels 2-4. 



In wet, sandy heaths, near Zeehan, Longley, George's Bay, &c. ; also in New 

 South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. 



8. 0. STEIGOSA, Roem. et Schult. Habit of the last, only the leaves and 

 flowering stems hairy and the flowers more numerous, causing the head to be 

 thicker. Leaves filiform, \-l inch long, lightly covered with short thick hairs. 

 Flowering stem usually longer than the leaves, occasionally 2-3 inches, bearing 

 few hairs. Bracts ovate, about 2 lines long, the pointed apex often very short, 

 covered, except the narrow point, with hairs, inserted close together, spreading. 

 Flowers from 4-12 to each bract, each bearing 3, rarely 2, unequal scales. 

 Carpels usually 4-6. 



' Very common in wet, sandy places, growing with the last, and often taken 

 for it. It occurs also throughout temperate Australia. 



Centeolepis tenuioe, R. et Sch., is less robust than the type, and is the 

 commoner form found in Tasmania. It is too closely connected to 

 warrant its maintenance as distinct. 



