1732 CLII. CYPERACE^. [Cypenis. 



1. C. pumilus (dwarfish), Linn. ; Kimth, Enum. ii. 4 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 vii. 258. A dwarf tufted annual, the stem seldom above 3 or 4in. high, the leaves- 

 mostly shorter and narrow. Umbel simple or slightly compound, of 3 to 6- 

 slender rays, the longest 1 to 2in. long, besides the sessile clusters. Spikelets 6 

 to 12 together, in loose clusters or short spikes. Involucral bracts generally 8, of 

 which 1 or 2 longer than the inflorescence. Spikelets resembling those of 

 C. cus^jidaS?*?, linear-lanceolate, very flat, rather acute, brown, 3 to 4 lines long 

 and under 1 line broad, 16 to 20-flowered, the rhachis not winged. Glumes^ 

 spreading, loosely imbricate or rather distant, the green keel with a prominent 

 nerve on each side, produced into a short spreading or longer and recurved point,, 

 the brown scarious nerveless sides ending obtusely below the point. Stamens 2: 

 or sometimes 1 only. Style 2-cleft. Nut obovate, biconvex, with 1 edge next 

 the rhachis, less than half the length of the glume. — C. nitens, Vahl ; Boeckel. in 

 Linnsa, xxxv. 483 ; C. breviculmis, F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 267, not of E. Er. 



Hab.: Voi-i Deaison, Fitzalan; Bockhampton, O'Shanesy. 



The species is widely spread over tropical Asia and Africa. Bceckeler is evidently right in 

 uniting as one species the first five of Kunth's Oyperi, described under the names of C. hyalimts, 

 C. nitens and C. memhr-anaceus, Vahl., C. functatus, Roxb. and C. pumilus, Linn. The- 

 Australian specimensielong to the var. patens, Boeckel. (C patens, Vahl., not seen by Kunth), 

 with looser spikes and rather narrower spikelets than in the commoner East Indian forms.. 

 —Benth. 



2. C. eragrostis (Eragrostis-like), Vald ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 7; Benth. Fl. 

 Austr. vii. 258. A perennial, flowering perha,ps sometimes the first year, but 

 forming short slender creeping or ascending rhizomes, and sometimes with the 

 short tufted aspect of C. flavescens, differing from that species chiefly in the colour 

 of the glumes. Stems mostly 6in. to about 1ft. high, but sometimes shorter or 

 longer. Leaves shorter than the stem, ^11 radical or extending nearly half way 

 up. Spikelets either very few in a sessile cluster, or more numerous in a 

 compound cluster or with 1 or 2 slightly elongated umbel rays each bearing a- 

 cluster. Involucre of 2 to 4 narrow bracts, 1 or 2 much longer than the 

 inflorescence. Spikelets flat, dark brown or almost black, oblong or broadly 

 linear, 3 to 6 lines long and about 1 line broad with about 12 to 24 flowers, the 

 rhachis not winged. Glumes loosely imbricate, rather, spreading, broad, obtuse- 

 with a more or less marked greenish keel, the sides nerveless, either a rich brown, 

 with narrow hyaline margins, or hyaline with a dark brown patch. Stamens 

 usually 2. Style 2-cleft. Nut obovate, but varying much in breadth, biconvex 

 or nearly flat, one edge next to the rhachis, less than half the length of the- 

 glume. — Boeckel. in Linnsea, xxxv. 443 ; F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 260 ; C. areolatus, 

 E. Br, Prod. 216. 



Hab.: Brisbane Elver, Bailey ; Bojne Elver, Hartmann. A common southern species. 

 The species is widely distributed over East India, extending on the Dne hand to west tropical 

 Africa, and on the other, more sparingly, to the Malayan Archipelago. 



3. C. flavescens (yellowish), Linn.; Kunth, Enum. ii. 5 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 vii. 252. In the typical Mediterranean form usually a small tufted annual, but 

 even there said by some to be perennial and, in the Australian specimens referred 

 to it with some doubt, perhaps perennial and above 6in. high. Leaves narrow, 

 much shorter. Spikelets few together or rarely more numerous, in clusters in a 

 simple umbel of 3 or 4 rays, or the whole reduced to a sessile cluster. Involucra! 

 bracts 2 or 3, of which 1 or 2 much longer than the inflorescence and narrow. 

 Spikelets oblong or broadly linear, obtuse, flat, 3 to 4 lines long when fully out 

 and 1 line or rather more broad, of a shining yellowish-green when fresh, pale in 

 the dried specimens, 12 to 20-flowered, the rhachis not winged. Glumes very 

 obtuse and rather broad, with 3 or 5 nerves closely adj.oining in a broad dorsal 

 keel, the sides nerveless. Stamens said to be 3, but 2 only in the upper 

 or nearly all' the floWe'rs of some Specimens; Style 2-cleft. Nut flat ovate 



