THE TASMANIAN FLOBA.. 241 



Spikelets pale, about 4-6 lines long, lanceolate, stalked, few together, in 3 or. 4 

 small clusters, each cluster subtended by a leafy bract, the whole forming a 

 compact but interrupted panicle. Nut pale, about 2 lines long. 



Very common on mountains. It occurs in New South Wales and Victoria, and 

 is common in New Zealand. 



6. HELEOCHARIS. 



Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes imbricate all round the rhachis, empty ones 

 few. Hypogynous bristles 3-8, rarely absent. Stamens. 3 or fewer. Style with 

 a thickened persistent base. Nut flattened or globose, and then usually 3-ribbed. 

 Spikelet solitary, terminal, and continuous with the stem. 



A rather large genus, with a distribution nearly as wide as the order. 



Stems robust, hollow, with septa ... ... ... 1. H. sphacelata. 



Stems slender. 



Stems usually exceeding 2 inches. Glumes not 



keeled ... ... ... ... ... ... 2. H. acuta. 



Stems under 3 inches. Glumes keeled ... ... 3. H. acicularis. 



1. H. SPHACBLATA, JR. JBv. Stems simple, erect, from a creeping rhizome, 2 or 

 more feet high, ^-| inch diameter, hollow, but with numerous transverse septa. 

 Leaves, none, except basal sheaths. Spikelet 1-2 inches long. Glumes broad, 

 green, with a scarious margin. Hypogynous bristles rather long, denticulate. 

 Nut rather flat, about 1 liue long. 



Common in fresh water, particularly in the south. It occurs almost throughout 

 A-Ustralia, and extends to New Zealand. 



2. H. ACTJTA, M. Br. Habit most variable. Stems simple, slender, erect, 

 usually tufted, on a creeping rhizome, from 2 or 3 inches to 1 or 2 feet high. 

 Sheathing scales closely appressed, the orifice truncate, with a minute tooth-like 

 lamina. Spikelet j-l| inch long, dense. Glumes acute or nearly so, with a 

 prominent, often green, midrib and brown scarious margins. Hypogynous 

 bristles usually 5 or 6, about as long as the nut, denticulate. Style-branches 3, 

 rarely 2. Nut flat to nearly obovate, persistent. ., Base of style conical. 

 H. palustris, F. v. M. ; S. (jradlis, Hook. " Fl. Tas." 



Very common in marshy places. Common throughout Australia. It occurs 

 in New Zealand, and probably extends to South America. It is very close to 

 the northern H. palustrix, R. Br. 



3. H. ACICULARIS, R. Br. Stems simple, slender, erect, iriany barren, tufted, 

 on a creeping rhizome, 1-3 inches high. Sheathing scales closely appressed, less 

 truncate at the orifice than the last, and without the minute lamina. Spikelet 

 very narrow, 1-2 lines long, few-flowered. Glumes obtuse, with an obscure or 

 distinct pale keel, the sides bi'own and scarious. Style-branches 3. Hypogynous 

 bristles shoi'ter than the nut, slender, often obscure or absent. Nut 3-ribbed, 

 the persistent base of the style very small. H. pusilla, R. Br. (included). 



South Esk River. It occurs in New South Wales, Victoria, and South 

 Australia, and has a wide distribution in both Hemispheres. 



The Tasmanian plant is chiefly referable to S. pusilla, R. Br., but I have 

 preferred to follow von Mueller in combining the two. It much 

 resembles a small Scirpus without a terminal bract. 



7. SCIRPUS. 

 Spikelets several-flowered. Glumes imbricated all round the rhachis, all 

 flower-bearing or only I or 2 empty ones. Hypogynous bristles variable, 

 .sometimes absent. Stamens 3-1. Style continuous with the nut, deciduous, 



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