Cyperus.] CLII. CYPEEACEiE. 1741 



not spreading, the keel prominebt, the sides nerveless or very faintly several- 

 nerved. Stamens 3, with short filaments. Style 3-cleft. Nut broad, 

 prominently 3-angled, much less than half the length of the glume. 

 Hab.: Eookingham Bay, Dallachy. 



28. C. vaginatus (sheathed), K. Br. Pivd. 213 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 272. 

 Stems from a horizontal or creeping rhizome, rigid terete or slightly striate, 1 to 

 S feet high, leafless except a few brown sheaths at the base, the innermost of 

 which sometimes 3 to 4in. long with a short erect lamina. Spikelets numerous 

 in dense globular heads of about ^in. diameter when fully out, in a simple umbel 

 of several often many rays of ^ to l^^in. or the inflorescence contracted into a 

 sessile compound cluster. Involucral bracts usually 5 or 6, more nearly equal 

 than in any other species, erect or spreading, usually rigid, 1 to 3in. long. 

 Spikelets very flat, of a rich brown, oblong lanceolate or linear, about 1 line 

 broad, varying from 2 to 3 lines long with 12 to 20 fiowers to 4 to 6 lines with 

 40 to 50 flowers, the rhachis not winged. Glumes closely imbricate but spreading, 

 acute, the keel prominent and pale coloured, the sides brown and nerveless. 

 Stamens 2 to 3. Style 3-cleft. Nut very prominently 3-angled, rather broad, 

 acute, less than half the length of the glume. — Bosckel. in Linnsea, xxxv. 572. 



Hab.: Plains of the Condamine, Leichhardt, and various other southern localities. 



29. C. holoschcenus (like a Bchoenus), 11. Br. Prod. 215 ; Benth. FL Austr. 

 vii. 273. Stems from a thick horizontal or creeping rhizome, 1 to 2ft. high, 

 obtusely 3-angled. Leaves rather narrow, sometimes nearly as long as the 

 stem. Spikelets small, in dense globular clusters or heads "2 to 8 lines diameter, 

 in an irregularly compound umbel of 4 to 8 or even more rays, the longest 2 to 

 3in. long. Involucral bracts 3 or 4, narrow, 1 to 2 of them longer than the 

 inflorescence, the heads or clusters subtended by glume-like bracte. - Spikelets 

 flat, pale brown, shortly lanceolate or oblong, 1 to 1 j line long, and fully 1 line 

 broad, with 5 to 8 or rarely more flowers, the rhachis not winged or with an 

 exceedingly narrow border. Glumes loosely imbricate, obtuse or almost acute, 

 of a thin pale texture, striate with 2 or 3 fine nerves on each side. Stamens 8. 

 Style 3-cleft. Nut obtusely 3-angled, nearly or quite as long as the glume. — 

 F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 262. 



Hab.: Islands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, E.Broicn; Norman and Gilbert Eivers, GwWijJcr; 

 Barcoo Downs, Birch. 



30. C. dactylotes (rays finger-like), Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 273. Stems 

 usually rather stout and 2 to 3ft. high, but sometimes more slender and scarcely 

 above 1ft., terete or obtusely 3-angled. Leaves rather long. Spikelets numerous 

 in dense clusters or heads, in a usually compound but very variable umbel, the 

 longest rays often 6in. long, the partial umbels very dense. Involucral bracts 

 several, of which 2 to 4 longer than the inflorescence, and 2 to 4 lines broad 

 at the base. Spikelets linear, flat, very regular, usually 6 to 9 lines but 

 sometimes at least lin. long, scarcely 1 line broad, of a light brown sometimes 

 almost golden colour, with 80 to 50 or even more flowers, the rhachis not 

 winged. Glumes loosely imbricate, not very broad, obtuse or the keel produced 

 into a minute point, the sides more or less distinctly 2 or 3-nerved, without 

 soarious margins. Stamens 3. Style 3-oleft. Nut narrow, 8-angled, nearly 

 as long as the glume. 



Hab.: Maranoa, WoolU; Barcoo Downs, Schmidt, BiTch; Armadilla, BaHon, 



31. C. Gilesii (after Christo. Giles), Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 274. Stems 6in. 

 to 1ft. high, slender, slightly triquetrous. Leaves much shorter. Spikelets in 

 dense clusters in a simple umbel of about 6 rays, the longer ones about lin* long, 

 or the whole inflorescence condensed into a eompound sessile cluster. Involucral 



