THE TASMANIAN FItOiRA. 251 



thickened, persistent. Branches 3. Nut oblong, crowned by the persistent base 

 of the style. Leafless or nearly so, with the habit of the Restiacece. 



The genus is confined to Australian distribution, and contains but few species. 



C. peStandea, R. Br. Stems erect, from a creeping rhizome, 2 or 3 feet high, 

 branched in the upper portion, the branches somewhat flattened. Leaves reduced 

 to gheathing scales. Spikelets distant, erect, terminal, and on very short lateral 

 branches, bright brown, narrow, about | inch long, the inner glumes with slender 

 points. Stamens 4-6 in the perfect flower. Nut crowned with a large, pubescent, 

 persistent style-base. 



Not common, but widely distributed thi'oughout the Northern and Eastern 

 Coast; also in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland. 



14. UNCINIA. 



Flowers in terminal cylindrical spikes, unisexual, the staminate flowers 

 terminal. Ovary enclosed in a flask-like sheath, and with it a long, protruding, 

 hooked bristle. 



The genus is widely spread in the Southern Hemisphere, and extends north- 

 wards into Mexico. 



Leaves filiform. Spike | inch long ... ... ... \. U. tenella. 



Leaves grassy. Spike 1-2 inches. 



Spike dense, ovoid ... ... ... ... ... 2. J7. compacta. 



Spike linear ... ... ... ... ... ... 3. TJ.rvparia. 



1. U. TENELLA, R. Br. .3-4 inches high, slender, usually in tufts. Leaves 

 filiform, as long as the stem. Spike slender, about \ inch, usually with 3-4 

 staminate flowers above, and about twice as many pistillate ones. 



Recherche, and also very common at an altitude of one to two thousand feet ; 

 also in Victoria and New South Wales. 



2. TJ. COMPACTA, R. Br. Solitary or tufted, erect, stems 3-8 inches. Leaves 

 flat, 1-2 lines wide, usually shorter than the stems, but sometimes much longer. 

 Spike dense, |-1 inch lonjf, oblong, but sometimes rather narrow. Glumes ovoid, 

 obtuse, 2 lines long, with a thickened green midrib. Staminate flowers 

 few, terminal. Pistillate flowers many, the utricle shorter than the glume till 

 ripe. TJ. nervosa, Boott., included. 



Common on mountains ; also in Victoria. 



3. U. EiPARiA, i2. -Br. Slender, depressed, 6- 1 8 inches Jong. Leaves narrow, 

 flat, 1 line broad, usually exceeding the stem. Spike narrow, often interrupted, 

 linear, 1-8 inches long. Glumes very obtuse, green. Staminate flowers few, 

 terminal. Pistillate flowers many, the utricles shortei- than the glumes. 



Common in shady woods ; also in Victoria and New South Wales. 



16. CARBX. 



Flowers unisexual, in spikelets that are solitary or clustered at the ends of the 

 stems, the flowers each subtended by a glume, and the pistillate flowers contained 

 within a flask-shaped utricle, which encloses the seed in fruit. 



A world-wide genus of grassy sedges. 



i. Flowers i^^ery few, in a single spike 1. C. acicularu. 



Flowers numerous, in many spikelets ... ... ii. 



ii. Staminate flowers not in distinct spikelets ... iii. 

 Staminate flowers all or most in distinct 



spikelets ... ••• •■■ ■■■ •■• vii. 



iii. Inflorescence seldom exceeding 1 inch ... iv. 



Inflorescence 2-6 inches ... ... ... vi. 



