624 CLXXii. oTPBRAOKa. (0. B. Clarke.) [Mariscus. 



Veget. Andamans, 54 ; Boeci. in Linntsa, sxxvi. 340.— Oyperus, Wall. Gat. 

 3359 {mainly).— Bheede Sort. Mai. xii. 108, t. 55. 



Prom Bbngai, to Ceylon and Singapoeb.— Disteib. Trop. Afrie., Malaya, 

 Austral., Polynes. — mostly near the sea. 



Stems 1-3 feet. Leaves often nearly as long as stem, i in. broad. Rays of 

 umhel often 4 in. S'pikes cylindric or ovoid, cinnamomeous-red or brown or straw- 

 colour. 



Sect. 4. Plabelliformea. SpHcelets subulate, tearing 4-14 nuts. 



12. M. microcephalus, Presl. Eel. Baenk. i. 182 ; large, leaves 

 and bracts spongy, umbel compound or decompound, spites stellately 

 globose brown, spikelets straight, glumes obtuse rather remote, nut nar- 

 rowly obovoid top conic almost beaked. M. dilutus, Nees in Wight Con- 

 trib. 90. M. giganteus, Boeck. in Flora, xlii. 443. Oyperus compactus, 

 Betz Ohs. V. 10, fide Kunth. 0. dilutus, Yahl Enum. ii. 357 ; Kunth Enum. 

 ii. 92 ; Thw. Enum. 344; Boeck. in lAnncea, xxxvi. 354 ; Zurz Rep. Anda- 

 mans, 54, and in Journ. As. Sac. xlv. (part 2) 168 ; C. B. Clarke in Journ. 

 Linn. 8oc. xxi. 193. 0. spinulosus, Boxh. El. Jnd. i. 203. — Mariscus, Wall. 

 Cat. 3430, 3439. 



Throughout India, alt. C-3000 ft. ; from Mussooeee and Assam to Ceylon 

 and Penan G.—DlSTEiE. Mauritius, China, Malaya. 



Glabrous. Bhimme short. Stems 1-3 ft. Leaves nearly as long as stem, i in. 

 broad. Umbel often 8-12 in. in diam. ; spikes of 20-40 spikelets. Spikelets some- 

 times f by ^ in., bearing 14 nuts, often much shorter bearing 4—8 nuts. Nut- 

 bearing glumes boat-shaped with 9 faint nerves. Wings of rhachilla oblong, hyaline 

 persistent. 



Subg. III. ToBTjLiNnnn {Gen. Besv.). Spikelets bearing several 

 nuts ; rhacheola finally breaking up into joints each containing 1 nut. 



13. ni. ferax, C. B. Clarke ; large or middle-sized, umbel usually 

 large compound, spikelets numerous spicate linear bearing 4^16 small 

 oblong black nuts, which fall ofE in the joints of rhacheola held by the 

 persistent wings. Oyperus ferax, L. C. Rich, in Act. Sac. Hist. Nat. 

 Paris, i. 106 ; Kunth Enum. ii. 89 ; BoecJc in lAnncea, xxxvi. 399 ; G. B. 

 Clarke in Journ. Linn. Soc. xx. 295 (excl. syn. C. lutens), and xxi. 191. C. 

 odoratus. Worst. Prod. Ins. Austral. 6; Boeck. in Linncea, xxxvi. 407 {not 

 of Linn.). 0. ferox, Vahl Enum. ii. 357. C. pennatus, Serb. Mus. Paris; 

 Boeck. I. c. 404 {not of Lam.). Diclidium ferox, Schrad. in Ma/rt. Fl. Bras. 

 ii., pars 1, 54. 



Bbngal; Furidpore, C. B. Clarke. Pegu, Kuril, n. 2686. Meegtji, Griffith 

 {Rem Distrib. nn. 6143, 6198). — Disteib. All warm regions. 



Glabrous. Stolons ; rhizome hardly any. Stems often 12-20 in., leaves nearly 

 as long, J in. broad ; but small examples occur. Umbel very variable, from |- 

 24 in. in diam. ; bracteoles (bracts to the secondary umbels) usually conspicuous, 

 leaf-like, but sometimes (as in type of L. C. Richard) very small. Axis of spikes 

 i in. carrying about 20 spikelets which ultimately spread at right angles. Spikelets 

 commonly ^l by -Jj in., bearing 6-10 nuts, yellow or brown. Glumes quadrate- 

 elliptic, hardly keeled, about 7-nerved ; rhachilla (especially in fruit) usually flexuose ; 

 wings short, elliptic, ultimately becoming firmer, yellowish-brown, enfolding the 

 nut. Nut oblong or ellipsoid, overtopping the wings ; style hardly ^ length of nut, 

 Blender j branches linear. — .This abundant American species has, after several doubt- 

 fully-distinct forms have been split off as species, been described under 53 names. 



