CentroJcpis.] CL. CBNTROLEPIDE^. 1719 



Spikes usually ovate or broad, the outer braota hispid with long spreading 



hairs. Inner scales prominent. 

 Outer bracts scarcely spreading with awns usually longer than the bract. 



Carpels usually 3. Styles free or nearly so 5. C. fascicularis. 



Outer bracts spreading with short poiuts. Carpels more than 6. Flowers 



very numerous 6. C. exserta. 



1. C. polygyna (carpels numerous), Hieron. Centrol. 96 ; Benth. Fl. Austv 

 vii. 203. Though slender and sometimes very small this species is more rigid 

 than its nearest allies. Leaves capillary, usually 3 or 4 lines long. Scapes in 

 the typical form usually about lin. long, though occasionally more than twice 

 or scarcely half as much, of a rather dark colour as well as the floral bracts 

 which are close together, narrow, erect, rigid, glabrous, about 2 lines long, the 

 outer one with a rigid awn at least as long and sometimes above twice as long, 

 the inner one with a very short point. Flowers solitary or very rarely 2 together 

 in the inner or upper bract, with a thin hyaline scale. Filament usually 

 shortly adnate to the axis of the carpels. Carpels varying from about 6 to above 

 20 ; styles very shortly connate. — Alepynim polygynwn, E. Br. Prod. 253 ; Hook, 

 f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 78 ; Nees in PI. Preiss. ii. 71. 



Hab.: Queensland, F. v. ilueller. 



2. C. pusilla (weak), Rccm. et Schult. Syst. i. 44 ; Benth, Fl. Austr. vii. 205. 

 A small tufted plant with scapes and leaves of about fin. Floral bracts close 

 together and glabrous but somewhat spreading, obtuse or scarcely pointed, but 

 little more than 1 line long. Flowers about 4 in the whole spike, with 1 or 2 

 hyaline scales to each flower rather prominent. Carpels of the ovary 6 to 7 

 according to E. Brown, 7 to 13 according to Hieronymus ; styles free. — Hieron. 

 Centrol. 97 ; Desvauxia pusilla, E. Br. Prod. 258. 



Hab.: Point Lookout, Banks and Solander, 



3. C. aristata (awned), Rccm. et Schult. Syst. i. 44; Benth. Fl. Austr. 

 vii. 206. Leaves linear, sometimes very short and fine but often a few of them 

 nearly J line broad and above lin. long. Scapes 1 to 2in. high, flattened under 

 the spike. Floral bracts close together, glabrous, ovate, erect, 2 to near 3 lines 

 long, with long leafy points, that of the lower bract often fin. and sometimes 

 lin. long, th|, other one shorter. Flowers in each bract from 6 to about 20, 

 intermixed with hyaline scales, some very narrow and entire, others broader and 

 jagged at the end, always 1 under each stamen and 1 under or by the side of 

 each ovary, with a few apparently additional ones. Carpels of the ovary few, 

 varying from 8 or 4 to 6 or 7. — Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 76, t. 138 ; Hieron. 

 Centrol. 99 ; Desvauxia aristata, E. Br. Prod. 258. 



Hab.: Stanthorpe. 



4. C. Banksii (after Sir Joseph Banks), Raim. et Schult. Syst. i. 44 ; Benth. 

 Fl. Austr. vii. 207. Very similar to C. exserta, but quite glabrous in all its parts. 

 Leaves filiform mostly about fin. lon^, and scapes from that to lin. or rather 

 more. Spike broad, the floral bracts very spreading, about If line long, ovate, 

 acute or tapering into a short point. Flowers numerous in both bracts, the 

 hyaline scales usually 2 to each flower and often as long as the outer bract. 

 Carpels of the ovary from 10 to 20. — Hieron. Centrol. 99 ; Besvauxia Banksii, 

 E. Br^ Prod. 253. 



Hab.: Endeavour Eiver, Banhs and Solander. 



5. C. fascicularis (fascicled), Lahill. PL Nov. Holl. i. 1, t. 1; Benth. 

 Fl. Austr. vii. 207. Leaves | to Ifin. long, usually ciliate below the middle with 

 a few long hairs. Scapes slender'!! 1 to 3in. high, glabrous or rarely sprinkled 

 with a few short hairs. Floral bracts at a short distance from each other, ovate, 



