1722 CLI. EESTIACEiE. [Lepyrodia. 



reflexed very deciduous point, those under the branches and clusters of flowers 

 broad, loose, light-coloured or the upper ones scarious. Flowers m sessile 

 clusters distant along the end of the stem, each cluster in the axil of a broad 

 loose sheathing bract of 2 or 3 lines, the female flowers only 3 or 4 in the cluster, 

 the male clusters more developed with more flowers. Glumes and bracteoles 

 scarious, acutely acuminate, not much shorter than the perianths. Perianth- 

 segments rigid, very acute, a little more than a line long, all nearly equal in the 

 females, the inner ones longer and broader than the outer in the mabs. Fila- 

 ments short in the males. Staminodia prominent in the females. 

 Hab.: Islands of Moreton Bay, and Brisbane Eiver, 



2. RESTIO, Linn. 

 (So named from species having been used for cord.) 

 (Megalotheca, F. v. Muell.) 

 Flowers dioecious, both sexes several together or the females solitary, in 

 spikelets with imbricate glumes and no bracteoles. Perianth-segments 4, 5 or 6, 

 glume-like or the inner ones almost hyaline, not exceeding the glumes. Male- 

 flower : Stamens 8, filaments filiform, free; anthers 1 -celled. Eudimentary 

 ovary small or none. Female flower : Staminodia 3 or none. Ovary 2 or 

 8-celled ; styles 2 or 3, free from the base or very shortly connate, stigmatie 

 almost from the base. Capsule flat and 2-celled or 8-angled and 3-celled, the- 

 cells opening at the angles or very rarely irregularly breaking up on the sides. — 

 Stems simple or branched, leafless except the sheathing scales which are usually 

 persistent. Male and female inflorescences similar or very different, the male- 

 spikelets either pedicillate and paniculate or sessile along the branches, the- 

 females often more sessile, solitary, clustered or spicate, but sometimes paniculate- 

 like the males. The young plants of the first year in several species have two or 

 three of the sheaths at the base of the stem produced into short linear leaves. 



Tbe genus is very largely represented in South Africa, without, however, a single species- 

 identical with the Australian ones which are all endemic. 



Sect. I, Stachyg-ynia.— S'tois t-a7-iO«s. Both male and female spikelets several flou-cred^ 



Spikelets (in both sexes ?) small and numerous in a dense terminal panicle. 

 Spikelets ovoid, very shining, with fine-pointed glumes. Tropical 



species 1. iJ. tropicus. 



Spikelets (in both sexes ?) terminating branches or rigid peduncles or sessile 



along the branches, numerous. Stems slender, glabrous . . . . . 2. iJ. dimorphus. 

 Spikelets in both sexes nearly similar, mostly erect and shortly pedicellate 

 on a simple rhachis or in a narrow interrupted panicle. 

 Sheathing scales obtuse and erect. 

 Stems simple, terete. Spikelets numerous, 2 to 3J lines long. Sheath- 

 ing scales all closely appressed 3. U. gracilis. 



Stems very flat . 4^. R.coviplanatus^ 



Stems terete, tall, with dense clusters of fine barren branches. Spike- 

 lets numerous . . 5. R. tetraphyllns.. 



1. R. tropicus (tropical), B. Br. Prod. 246 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 228. 

 Ehizome not seen. Stems stout, undivided, above 2ft. high, Sheathing scales 

 closely appressed, acute. Male spikelets very numerous in a much branched 

 thyrsoid or pyramidal panicle of 4 to Gin., nearly sessile along the almost filiform, 

 branches all of a rather light shining brown, about 2 lines long. Glumes almost- 

 scarious, broadly lanceolate, tapering to a fine point, 1 or 2 outer ones shorter 

 and empty. Perianth-segments 5, 2 outer ones narrow, acuminate, complicate, 

 3 inner ones shorter broader hyaline and almost obtuse. Female plant unknown.. 



Hab.: Gulf of Carpentaria, R. Broun. 



The female plant being unknown the genus of this species must remain uncertain, it may 

 very possibly be a Leptocarpus, the ma]e inflorescence is, however, very different from that ot 

 any other species of either genus. — Benth. 



