1724 CLI. RESTIACEJ;. 



3. LEPTOCARPUS, E. Br. 



(Fruit slender.) 



Flowers diceeious, both sexes in spikelets with imbricate glumes without 

 braeteoles, or the females in compound spikelets with bracteoles. Fenantn- 

 segments 6 or fewer by abortion, variously shaped. Male flower : btamens d or 

 rarely 2 ; filaments filiform, free, usually very short ; anthers 1-celled. Kudimen- 

 tary ovary small or none. Female flower ; Staminodia 3 or none. Ovary 

 1-celled, with 1 pendulous ovule ; styles 8 (rarely 2?), filiform, free or united to 

 the middle, the free part, stigmatic from near the base. Fruit narrow or ovoid, 

 with a thin pericarp opening on one side, or with a thicker pericarp splitting at 

 the angles. Stems simple or branched, leafless except the sheathing scales 

 which are usually closely appressed and erect. Male and female inflorescences 

 nearly similar or very different, in some species the spikelets in both sexes in 

 narrow panicles, in others the males pedicellate and paniculate, the feruales sessile 

 and clustered or spicate. Male spikelets always several-flowered with 1, 2 or 

 rarely 3 outer empty glumes. Females various. 



The genus like Restio is also represented in Soutli Africa and New Zealand, but the Australian 

 species appear to be all endemic. The males of uorae speiies are scarcely to be distinguished from 

 those of some species of Restio, but the females are readily recognised. — Benth. 



Sect. I. Som.fiea,nth.esis.—Spikelets in both sexes very small, clustered along thebranclies 

 of a long panicle. 



Spikelets very densely clustered along the short branches of a long dense 

 panicle. 

 Outer females perianth-segments erect, inner short, (omentose, closed over 



the ovary ]. L. ramosiis. 



Perianth-s gments all eq.ual narrow, glabrous 2. L. elatior. 



Spikelets clustered along the few narrow branches of the panicle. Perianth- 

 segments glabrous. 



Stem glabrous 3. L. spathaceus. 



Stem oottony-villous 4. i. Schultzii. 



1. !•. ramosus (branching), 7^. Br. Prod. 260; Benth. Fl. Aitstr. vii. 286. 

 Ehizome unknown. Stems terete, erect, divided into a few long erect branches, 

 above 2ft. high, and sometimes the flowering branches again much divided. 

 Sheathing scales closely appressed, shortly acute, in some specimens perhaps 

 diseased, imbricate at the ends of the branches. Spike-like panicles dense and 

 numerous in a long narrow interrupted panicle. Male spikelets very numerous, 

 small and sessile in clusters along the short branches. Glumes less than a line 

 long, acutely acuminate, almost aristate, the upper ones scarcely exceeding the 

 lower. Perianth-segments acuminate, glabrous, the inner ones rather broader 

 and less acuminate than the outer. The flowers examined had only 4 segments 

 and 2 stamens in Dallaehy's as well as in Fitzalan's specimens but they may 

 very probably be sometimes 3-merous. Female inflorescence the same as the 

 male, but the spikelets still smaller and more densely clustered. Glumes and 8 

 outer perianth-segments scarcely h line long, with fine points and glabrous or 

 shghtiy ciliate, 3 inner segments shorter, obtuse, densely covered with a white 

 woolly tomentum and closed over the glabrous ovary. Style filiform, divided to 

 the middle into 3 or sometimes 2 stigmatic branches. — F. v. M. Fragm. viii. 92, 



Hab.: Endeavour River, Banks and Solander; Rockingham Bay, Dallachy; Daintree River, 

 Fitzalan, 



2. I,, elatior (tall), R. Br. Prod. 250; Benth. Fl. Aiutr. vii. 236. Rhizome 

 unknown. Stems above 2ft. high, rather stout and undivided in the specimens 

 seen. Sheathing scales closely appressed, acuminate. Male specimens not seen. 

 Female spikelets very small and numerous, of a rich dark brown, very densely 

 crowded on the short branches of a long panicle, the bracts under the sessile 

 clusters and spikelets acuminate with long fine points usually exceeding the 



