<!yperus.] CLII. OYPEBACE^. 1751 



3-cleft. Nut narrow, triquetrous, nearly as long as the glume and enclosed in it. 

 ~-F, V. M. Fragm. viii. 267 ; Mdriscus imbellatus, Vabl ; Kunth, Enum. ii. 118; 

 KyUinga umhelUita, Rottb. Descr. et Ic. PI. 15, t. 4, f. 2 ; Beauv. Fl. Ow. et Ben. 

 t. 65 ; Ki/llinga panicea, Bottb. I.e. t. 4, f. 1. 



Hab.: Condamine River, Leichhardt, and various localitiee in South Queensland, Bowman nnti. 

 others ; Brisbane Eiver, F. v. Mueller, Bailexj. 



Var. laxiflora. Spikes longer and not so dense, 1 or 2 of the outer ones with a short branch at 

 'the base.— Herbert Creek, Bowman. 



The species is widely distributed over tropical Asia and Africa. 



63. C. conicus (conical), Bacltel. in Linruma, xxxviii. 371 ; Eenth. Fl. Austr. 

 ■vii. 290. Stems 1 to l^ft. high, rather rigid, often much thickened at the base. 

 Leaves often as long, rather rigid, ending in long subulate points, the margins 

 scabrous and sometimes almost spinulose-dentioulate. Spikelets very numerous, 

 usually in dense senile ovoid or conical heads, often 3-lobed at the base, 4 to 6 

 lines long and often as broad, in a simple umbel of 6 to 10 rays, the longest If 

 to 2in. long. Involucral bracts 3 to 5, long and tapering into long subulate 

 points. Spikelets naji-row-oblong, nearly 1^ lines long, with 1. perfect flower. 

 •Glumes imbricate, the lowest empty glume small, very broad (and cup-shaped, 

 scarious, remaining usually with the subtending small glume-like bract persistent 

 after the spikelet has fallen off, the second empty glume ovate obtuse striate more 

 than half the length of the spikelet ; flowering glume almost acute, striate, 

 ■closely enveloping the broadly winged rhachis and the base of a fourth glume 

 "which is empty or contains a male flower. Style 3-eleft. Nut ovoid, triquetrous, 

 nearly as long as the glume.^ — F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 268; Mariscus conicus, R. 

 Br. Prod. 218. 



Hab.: Gulf of Carpentaria, iJ. Broioi, Port Curtis, Jf'GiHti;™j/ ; Bokhara Creek, Leichhardt; 

 .IBowen Downs, Birch. 



Var. ramosus. Heads of spikelets branching into dense pyramidal panicles. Leaves 

 ■numerous, broad at the base.— Swcers Island, Henne; Port Denison, Fitzalan. 



2. KYLLINGA, Rottb. 



(After P. Kylling). 



Spikelets with a single apparently terminal hermaphrodite flower or with a 

 second smaller usually male or imperfect flower immediately above it. Glumes 3 

 or 4, distichous, concave, or navicular and keeled, of which the upper 2 

 ■closely enclosing the flower and fruit and at length falling off with it, the short 

 stipes or rhachis of the spikelets being articulate at or above the base, the lowest 

 glume small and empty. No hypogynous scales or bristles. Stamens 3 or fewer. 

 Style continuous with the ovary, not thickened at the base, usually deciduous ; 

 :stigmatic branches 2, filiform. Nut sessile, flat, without any hypogynous disk. — 

 Perennials or rarely annuals with simple stems leafy at the base only. Spikelets 

 small, very numerous, densely crowded in 1, 3 or rarely more terminal globular 

 •or oblong-cylindrical-heads, sessile within an involucre of 2 to 4 unequal linear 

 Jeafy bracts. When the second flower is present it is always enclosed in or 

 subtended by a small hyaline additional glume, and, if perfect, both the nuts are 

 -enclosed in the 2 larger glumes. 



The genus is widely spread over the warmer regions of the New and the Old World and the 

 Australian species are none of them endemic, all four appear to be Asiatic and two at least also 

 African and American, but the characters upon which Boeckeler and others have distinguished a 

 large number of species are often very vague or trifling, and renuire further scrutiny before the 

 ■extent of the geographical range of the principal forms can be determined. F. v. Mueller 

 proposes to unite the genus with Cyptrus, to which it is certainly nearly allied, but the peculiar 

 struqture of the spikelet is quite constant in all the species 1 have examined. 

 Heads of spikelets solitary and- globular, or very rarely with 2 short lateral 

 ones. 

 Second male flower usually present. Nuts ovate, pale, nearly as long as 

 the glumes. Larger glumes very unequal 1. A"". interm;dia. 



